Dominion Resources Inc. D reported third-quarter 2015 operating earnings of $1.03 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.06 by 2.8%. However, earnings came in within the guidance range of 95 cents to $1.10 per share.
Earnings increased 10.8% from 93 cents per share recorded a year ago. The upside was due to a return to normal weather and earnings from farmout transactions, offset by a rise in normal operating expense.
GAAP earnings were $1.00 per share compared with 90 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. The difference between GAAP and operating earnings in the reported quarter was due to out-of-period tax-related items for its electric operations.
Total Revenues
Dominion’s operating revenues of $2,976 million in the third quarter missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,181 million by 6.4%. Revenues also decreased nearly 2.4% year over year.
Highlights of the Release
Total operating expenses in the quarter decreased 9.9% year over year to $1,845 million. The decline in total expenses was primarily due to a 59.3% drop in the cost of purchased gas and a 14.4% decline in electric fuel and other energy-related expenses.
Interest and related charges in the reported quarter were $227 million, flat with the year-ago quarter.
Dominion Virginia Power recorded a 3.3% uptick in electricity sales volume to 22,634 Gwh in the third quarter along with a 1.2% increase in its customer base.
Segment Update
Dominion Virginia Power recorded net income of $125 million or 21 cents per share in the third quarter of 2015, up 5% year over year.
Dominion Energy recorded earnings of $152 million or 26 cents per share, up by a penny year over year.
Dominion Generation’s earnings were $391 million or 66 cents per share, up 17.9% year over year.
Corporate and Others incurred a loss of $57 million or 10 cents per share, wider than the year-ago loss of $44 million or 8 cents.
Financial Update
Dominion exited third-quarter 2015 with cash and cash equivalents of $238 million, down from $318 million as of Dec 31 2014.
Long-term debt as of Sep 30, 2015, was $19.8 billion compared with $18.4 billion at the end of 2014.
Cash from operating activities in the first nine months of 2015 was $3,453 million, up 43.3% from $2,410 million in the comparable year-ago period.
Looking Ahead
Dominion expects to generate fourth-quarter 2015 operating earnings in a range of 85 cents to 95 cents per share. Earnings in the year-ago period were 84 cents per share. The fourth-quarter results are likely to benefit from growth in its regulated gas and electric businesses, higher merchant generation margins, and lower capacity payments, offset by lower farmout revenues and share dilution.
Dominion reaffirmed its 2015 earnings guidance of $3.50 to $3.85 per share.
Other Company Releases
NextEra Energy NEE announced third-quarter 2015 adjusted earnings of $1.60 per share, lagging the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.64 by 2.4%.
American Electric Power Co., Inc. AEP reported third-quarter 2015 operating earnings of $1.06 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.00 by 6%.
DTE Energy Company DTE reported third-quarter 2015 operating earnings per share of $1.40, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.22 by 14.8%.
Zacks Rank
Dominion Resources holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
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