Attached files

file filename
8-K - FORM 8-K - ITC Holdings Corp.k50110e8vk.htm
Exhibit 99.1
(ITC LOGO)
For Immediate Release
ITC HOLDINGS REPORTS INCREASED FOURTH
QUARTER AND YEAR-END 2010 RESULTS
     Highlights
    Net income for the fourth quarter of $36.8 million, or $0.71 per diluted common share
 
    Year-end 2010 net income of $145.7 million, or $2.84 per diluted common share
 
    Capital investments of $454.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2010
 
    Reaffirmed 2011 earnings per share guidance of $3.20 to $3.30 per share and capital investment guidance of $560 million to $640 million
                                 
  Three months ended     Twelve months ended  
    December 31,     December 31,  
(in thousands, except per share data)   2010     2009     2010     2009  
OPERATING REVENUES
  $ 189,067     $ 156,508     $ 696,843     $ 621,015  
 
NET INCOME
  $ 36,779     $ 33,564     $ 145,678     $ 130,900  
 
DILUTED EPS
  $ 0.71     $ 0.66     $ 2.84     $ 2.58  
NOVI, Mich., February 22, 2011 — ITC Holdings Corp. (NYSE: ITC) today announced its fourth quarter and year-end results for the period ended December 31, 2010. Net income for the quarter was $36.8 million, or $0.71 per diluted common share, compared to $33.6 million, or $0.66 per diluted common share for the fourth quarter of 2009. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2010 was $145.7 million, or $2.84 per diluted common share, compared to $130.9 million, or $2.58 per diluted common share for the same period last year.
For the year ended December 31, 2010, ITC invested $454.6 million in capital projects at its operating companies, including $67.1 million, $137.7 million, $232.5 million and $17.3 million at ITCTransmission, METC, ITC Midwest and ITC Great Plains, respectively.
“I am very pleased to conclude another successful quarter and year with solid operational and financial performance,” said Joseph L. Welch, chairman, president and CEO of ITC. “We made substantial progress during 2010 in furthering our strategy and delivering on the commitments to both our customers and shareholders outlined in our five-year plan. Perhaps more importantly, we also made great strides in better positioning the company for continued successful execution of our strategic plan, which we expect will provide for long-term, sustainable growth in our business.”
Reported net income for the fourth quarter of 2010 increased $3.2 million, or $0.05 per diluted common share, compared to the same period in 2009. For the year ended December 31, 2010, net income increased $14.8 million, or $0.26 per diluted common share, compared to the same period in 2009. Results for the year-end 2009 period include $0.12 per diluted common share associated with the recognition of regulatory assets at ITC Great Plains; 2010 results do not include the

1


 

recognition of any such regulatory assets. In addition to this item, other key drivers that contributed to year-over-year variances include:
    Fourth quarter and full year net income results increased due to higher rate base at all operating companies.
 
    An increase in net income for the quarter and year-end period due to a lower consolidated effective income tax rate.
 
    Increases in net income for the fourth quarter were partially offset by higher non-recoverable expenses.
 
    Increases in net income for the fourth quarter and year-end periods were partially offset by higher interest expense resulting from our financing activities for ITC Holdings which were completed in late 2009.
EPS and Capital Expenditure Guidance
For 2011, ITC is reaffirming its full year earnings per share guidance of $3.20 to $3.30. Capital investment guidance for 2011 is also being maintained at $560 to $640 million, which includes $60 to $75 million, $155 to $170 million, $225 to $250 million and $120 to $145 million for ITCTransmission, METC, ITC Midwest and ITC Great Plains, respectively.
Fourth Quarter 2010 Financial Results Detail
ITC’s operating revenues for the fourth quarter increased to $189.1 million from $156.5 million for the same period last year. This increase was primarily due to higher network revenues attributable to higher rate base at our regulated operating subsidiaries and higher recoverable expenses associated with higher operation and maintenance expenses. In addition, the increase resulted from higher regional cost sharing revenues in 2010, due to additional capital projects that have been identified by the Midwest ISO (MISO) and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) as eligible for regional cost sharing, and due to higher point-to-point revenues resulting from an increase in scheduled transmission flow over our transmission systems. Other revenues also increased largely due to revenue recognized at METC for utilization of its jointly-owned lines under its transmission ownership and operating agreements.
Operation and maintenance (O&M) expenses of $40.6 million were $12.6 million higher during the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. This increase was primarily a result of higher vegetation management expenses, higher tower painting expenses, higher site maintenance expenses and higher equipment and structure maintenance. These increases were partially offset by lower vehicle and equipment expenses. The lower O&M expenses in 2009 were due in part to our expense mitigation efforts in 2009.
General and administrative (G&A) expenses of $24.7 million were $5.1 million higher during the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. This increase was due in part to personnel additions, and higher professional advisory and consulting services. These increases were partially offset by lower general business expenses. G&A expenses for the fourth quarter of 2010 include a one-time, non-recoverable charge of $2.3 million associated with the organizational changes the company implemented in January 2011.
Depreciation and amortization expenses of $21.4 million increased by $7.8 million during the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. This increase was primarily due to a higher depreciable asset base resulting from property, plant and equipment additions. This increase was partially offset by lower depreciation expense at ITC Midwest due primarily to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval of a depreciation study for ITC Midwest which revised the depreciation rates used to calculate depreciation expense for the entire 2010 calendar year.

2


 

Interest expense of $36.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2010 increased by $2.6 million compared to the same period in 2009, due to higher borrowing levels to finance capital expenditures. This increase was partially offset by lower interest expense on our revolving credit agreements as a result of lower interest rates.
The effective income tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2010 was 34.1 percent compared to 36.4 percent the same period last year.
Year-End 2010 Financial Results Detail
ITC’s operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2010 increased to $696.8 million from $621.0 million for the same period last year. This increase was primarily due to higher rate base at our regulated operating subsidiaries and higher recoverable expenses due primarily to higher operation and maintenance expenses. In addition, the increase resulted from higher regional cost sharing revenues in 2010, due to additional capital projects that have been identified by MISO and SPP as eligible for regional cost sharing, and higher point-to-point revenues resulting from an increase in scheduled transmission flow over our transmission systems. Other revenues also increased largely due to revenue recognized at METC for utilization of its jointly-owned lines under its transmission ownership and operating agreements.
O&M expenses of $126.5 million were $30.8 million higher for the year ended December 31, 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. This increase was primarily a result of higher vegetation management expenses, higher equipment and structure maintenance expenses, higher tower painting expenses and higher substation facility maintenance expenses. The lower O&M expenses in 2009 were due in part to the expense mitigation efforts in 2009.
G&A expenses of $78.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2010 were $8.9 million higher compared to the same period in 2009. This increase was largely a result of the reduction of expenses in 2009 in connection with the recognition of regulatory assets at ITC Great Plains which did not reoccur in 2010. In addition, G&A expenses increased due in part to personnel additions, higher stock compensation expenses and higher expense associated with development bonuses. These increases were offset by lower professional advisory and consulting services as well as lower general business expenses. G&A expenses for the year ended December 31, 2010 include a one-time, non-recoverable charge of $2.3 million associated with the organizational changes the company implemented in January 2011.
Depreciation and amortization expenses of $87.0 million increased by $1.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. This increase was due to a higher depreciable rate base resulting from property, plant and equipment additions. This increase was partially offset by lower depreciation expense at ITC Midwest due primarily to the FERC approval of a depreciation study for ITC Midwest which revised the depreciation rates used to calculate depreciation expense for the entire 2010 calendar year.
Interest expense of $142.6 million increased $12.3 million in 2010, due to higher borrowing levels to finance capital expenditures. This increase was partially offset by lower interest expense on our revolving credit agreements as a result of lower interest rates.
The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2010 was 36.1 percent compared to 37.2 percent in 2009.
Fourth Quarter and Year-End Conference Call
ITC will conduct a conference call to discuss fourth quarter and year-end 2010 earnings results at 11:00 a.m. ET on February 23, 2011. Joseph L. Welch, chairman, president and CEO, will provide a business overview, and Cameron M. Bready, executive vice president, treasurer and CFO, will

3


 

discuss the financial results. Individuals wishing to participate in the conference call may dial toll-free (877) 644-1296 (domestic) or (914) 495-8555 (international); there is no passcode. A listen-only live webcast of the conference call, including accompanying slides and the Earnings Release, will be available on the company’s investor information page at http://investor.itc-holdings.com/events.cfm. The conference call replay, available through February 28, 2011, can be accessed by dialing toll-free (800) 642-1687 (domestic) or (706) 645-9291 (international), passcode 41929558. The webcast will also be archived on the ITC website at http://investor.itc-holdings.com/events.cfm.
Other Available Information
More detail about the 2010 year-end results may be found in ITC’s Form 10-K filing. Once filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, an electronic copy of our 10-K can be found at our website, http://investor.itc-holdings.com. Written copies can also be made available by contacting us either through our website or the phone listings below.
About ITC Holdings Corp.
ITC Holdings Corp. (NYSE: ITC) invests in the electricity transmission grid to improve electric reliability, expand access to markets, lower the overall cost of delivered energy and allow new generating resources to interconnect to its transmission systems. The largest independent electricity transmission company in the country, ITC currently operates high-voltage transmission systems and assets in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and portions of Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas, serving a combined peak load in excess of 25,000 megawatts through its regulated operating subsidiaries, ITCTransmission, Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC), ITC Midwest and ITC Great Plains. ITC also focuses on further expansion in areas where significant transmission system improvements are needed through ITC Grid Development and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit: http://www.itc-holdings.com. (itc-ITC)
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains certain statements that describe our management’s beliefs concerning future business conditions, plans and prospects, growth opportunities and the outlook for our business and the electricity transmission industry based upon information currently available. Such statements are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Wherever possible, we have identified these forward-looking statements by words such as “will,” “may,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects” and similar phrases. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions our management believes are reasonable. Such forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements, including, among others, the risks and uncertainties disclosed in our annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time.
Because our forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control or are subject to change, actual results could be materially different and any or all of our forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and can be affected by assumptions we might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Many factors mentioned in our discussion in this release and in our annual and quarterly reports will be important in determining future results. Consequently, we cannot assure you that our expectations or forecasts expressed in such forward-looking statements will be achieved. Actual future results may vary materially. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any of our forward-looking or other statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

4


 

Investor/Analyst contact: Gretchen Holloway (248.946.3595, gholloway@itctransco.com)
Media contact: Louise Beller (248.946.3479, lbeller@itctransco.com)

5


 

ITC HOLDINGS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                                 
    Three months ended     Twelve months ended  
    December 31,     December 31,  
(in thousands, except per share data)   2010     2009     2010     2009  
OPERATING REVENUES
  $ 189,067     $ 156,508     $ 696,843     $ 621,015  
 
                               
OPERATING EXPENSES
                               
 
                               
Operation and maintenance
    40,557       27,938       126,528       95,730  
General and administrative
    24,727       19,578       78,120       69,231  
Depreciation and amortization
    21,438       13,624       86,976       85,949  
Taxes other than income taxes
    12,118       11,146       48,195       43,905  
Other operating income and expense — net
    365       (660 )     (297 )     (667 )
 
                       
Total operating expenses
    99,205       71,626       339,522       294,148  
 
                       
 
                               
OPERATING INCOME
    89,862       84,882       357,321       326,867  
 
                               
OTHER EXPENSES (INCOME)
                               
 
                               
Interest expense
    36,103       33,543       142,553       130,209  
Allowance for equity funds used during construction
    (3,249 )     (3,441 )     (13,412 )     (13,203 )
Loss on extinguishment of debt
          1,263             1,263  
Other income
    318       (306 )     (2,340 )     (2,792 )
Other expense
    863       1,070       2,588       2,918  
 
                       
Total other expenses (income)
    34,035       32,129       129,389       118,395  
 
                       
 
                               
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES
    55,827       52,753       227,932       208,472  
 
                               
INCOME TAX PROVISION
    19,048       19,189       82,254       77,572  
 
                       
 
                               
NET INCOME
  $ 36,779     $ 33,564     $ 145,678     $ 130,900  
 
                       
 
                               
Basic earnings per common share
  $ 0.73     $ 0.67     $ 2.89     $ 2.62  
Diluted earnings per common share
  $ 0.71     $ 0.66     $ 2.84     $ 2.58  
 
                               
Dividends declared per common share
  $ 0.335     $ 0.320     $ 1.310     $ 1.250  

6


 

ITC HOLDINGS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION
                 
    December 31,     December 31,  
(in thousands, except share data)   2010     2009  
ASSETS
               
Current assets
               
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 95,109     $ 74,853  
Accounts receivable
    80,417       72,352  
Inventory
    42,286       36,834  
Deferred income taxes
          23,859  
Regulatory assets — revenue accruals, including accrued interest
    28,637       82,871  
Other
    5,293       3,244  
 
           
Total current assets
    251,742       294,013  
 
               
Property, plant and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $1,129,669 and $1,051,045, respectively)
    2,872,277       2,542,064  
Other assets
               
Goodwill
    950,163       950,163  
Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $12,176 and $9,095, respectively)
    49,985       51,987  
Regulatory assets — revenue accruals, including accrued interest
    3,947       20,406  
 
Other regulatory assets
    138,152       134,924  
Deferred financing fees (net of accumulated amortization of $11,750 and $9,616, respectively)
    19,949       21,672  
Other
    21,658       14,487  
 
           
Total other assets
    1,183,854       1,193,639  
 
           
TOTAL ASSETS
  $ 4,307,873     $ 4,029,716  
 
           
 
               
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
Current liabilities
               
Accounts payable
  $ 66,953     $ 43,508  
Accrued payroll
    18,606       13,648  
Accrued interest
    42,725       39,099  
Accrued taxes
    19,461       21,188  
Regulatory liabilities — revenue deferrals, including accrued interest
    17,658        
Refundable deposits from generators for transmission network upgrades
    10,492       25,891  
Other
    6,509       3,344  
 
           
Total current liabilities
    182,404       146,678  
 
               
Accrued pension and postretirement liabilities
    35,811       31,158  
Deferred income taxes
    314,979       255,516  
Regulatory liabilities — revenue deferrals, including accrued interest
    43,202       10,238  
Regulatory liabilities — accrued asset removal costs
    90,987       112,430  
Refundable deposits from generators for transmission network upgrades
    14,515       17,664  
Other
    11,646       10,111  
Long-term debt
    2,496,896       2,434,398  
Commitments and contingent liabilities
               
 
               
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
Common stock, without par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 50,715,805 and 50,084,061 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively
    886,808       862,512  
Retained earnings
    229,437       149,776  
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
    1,188       (765 )
 
           
Total stockholders’ equity
    1,117,433       1,011,523  
 
           
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
  $ 4,307,873     $ 4,029,716  
 
           
 
               
ITC HOLDINGS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
               

7


 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                 
    Twelve months ended  
    December 31,  
(in thousands)   2010     2009  
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
               
Net income
  $ 145,678     $ 130,900  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
               
Depreciation and amortization expense
    86,976       85,949  
Revenue accruals and deferrals — including accrued interest
    121,315       10,912  
Deferred income tax expense
    76,746       75,001  
Allowance for equity funds used during construction
    (13,412 )     (13,203 )
Recognition of ITC Great Plains regulatory assets
          (8,191 )
Other
    13,991       13,820  
Changes in assets and liabilities, exclusive of changes shown separately:
               
Accounts receivable
    (9,479 )     (12,986 )
Inventory
    (5,452 )     (14,599 )
Other current assets
    (2,049 )     903  
Accounts payable
    2,210       (6,097 )
Accrued payroll
    4,893       2,003  
Accrued interest
    3,626       1,320  
Accrued taxes
    (2,071 )     3,073  
Other current liabilities
    2,770       (2,049 )
Other non-current assets and liabilities, net
    (2,409 )     1,179  
 
           
Net cash provided by operating activities
    423,333       267,935  
 
               
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
               
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment
    (388,401 )     (404,514 )
Proceeds from sale of securities
    14,576       1,182  
Purchases of securities
    (14,587 )     (5,309 )
Other
    (449 )     (321 )
 
           
Net cash used in investing activities
    (388,861 )     (408,962 )
 
               
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
               
Issuance of long-term debt
    90,000       333,670  
Repayment of long-term debt
          (100,000 )
Borrowings under revolving credit agreements
    475,627       623,966  
Repayments of revolving credit agreements
    (503,593 )     (671,834 )
Issuance of common stock
    8,908       3,575  
Dividends on common stock
    (66,041 )     (62,408 )
Refundable deposits from generators for transmission network upgrades
    21,618       40,279  
Repayment of refundable deposits from generators for transmission network upgrades
    (39,913 )     (5,228 )
Other
    (822 )     (4,250 )
 
           
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
    (14,216 )     157,770  
 
           
 
               
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
    20,256       16,743  
 
               
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS — Beginning of period
    74,853       58,110  
 
           
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS — End of period
  $ 95,109     $ 74,853  
 
           

8