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New Jersey Resources Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2020 Results

February 6, 2020 7:00 AM

WALL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR) reported results for the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Highlights for the quarter included:

First quarter fiscal 2020 net income totaled $89.4 million, or $0.97 per share, compared with $86.2 million, or $0.97 per share, during the same period in fiscal 2019. First quarter fiscal 2020 NFE totaled $40.4 million, or $0.44 per share, compared with $54.1 million, or $0.61 per share, during fiscal 2019.

"Our energy infrastructure investments provide value to our shareowners and support New Jersey’s clean energy goals. New Jersey Natural Gas continues to strengthen its system, enhance reliability and reduce emissions as we add customers who want clean, affordable natural gas. We recently announced that NJR will voluntarily reduce its operational emissions in New Jersey by 50% by 2030 as we continue to lead the way on sustainability,” said Steve Westhoven, President and CEO of New Jersey Resources. "With the acquisition of the Leaf River Energy Center in October and Adelphia Gateway in January, we expanded our midstream portfolio and became the operator of NJR’s first FERC regulated assets.”

Key Performance Metrics

Three Months Ended

December 31,

($ in Thousands)

2019

2018

Net income

$

89,361

$

86,248

Basic EPS

$

0.97

$

0.97

NFE

$

40,405

$

54,093

Basic NFE per share

$

0.44

$

0.61

A reconciliation of net income to NFE for the three months ended December 31, 2019, and 2018, is provided below.

Three Months Ended

December 31,

(Thousands)

2019

2018

Net income

$

89,361

$

86,248

Add:

Unrealized (gain) on derivative instruments and related transactions

(41,766)

(10,932)

Tax effect

9,931

2,583

Effects of economic hedging related to natural gas inventory

(8,887)

(21,611)

Tax effect

2,112

5,136

Net income to NFE tax adjustment

(10,346)

(7,331)

Net financial earnings

$

40,405

$

54,093

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding

Basic

91,911

88,547

Diluted

92,320

88,946

Basic earnings per share

$

0.97

$

0.97

Add:

Unrealized (gain) on derivative instruments and related transactions

(0.45)

(0.12)

Tax effect

0.11

0.03

Effects of economic hedging related to natural gas inventory

(0.10)

(0.25)

Tax effect

0.02

0.06

Net income to NFE tax adjustment

(0.11)

(0.08)

Basic net financial earnings per share

$

0.44

$

0.61

NFE is a financial measure not calculated in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of the United States. It is a measure of earnings based on eliminating timing differences surrounding the recognition of certain gains or losses, net of applicable tax adjustments, to effectively match the earnings effects of the economic hedges with the physical sale of natural gas, SRECs and foreign currency contracts. NFE eliminates the impact of volatility to GAAP earnings associated with unrealized gains and losses on derivative instruments in the current period. For further discussion of this financial measure, please see the explanation below under “Non-GAAP Financial Information.”

GAAP requires us, during the interim periods, to estimate our annual effective tax rate and use this rate to calculate the year-to-date tax provision. We also determine an annual estimated effective tax rate for NFE purposes and calculate a quarterly tax adjustment based on the differences between our forecasted net income and our forecasted NFE for the fiscal year. Since the annual estimated effective tax rate is based on certain forecasted assumptions, including estimates surrounding completion of Clean Energy Ventures projects, the rate and resulting NFE are subject to change. No adjustment is needed during the fourth quarter, since the actual effective tax rate is calculated at year end.

A table detailing NFE for the three months ended December 31, 2019, and 2018, is provided below.

Net Financial Earnings (Loss) by Business Unit

Three Months Ended

December 31,

(Thousands)

2019

2018

New Jersey Natural Gas

$

43,856

$

31,713

Midstream

3,004

3,651

Subtotal Regulated

46,860

35,364

Clean Energy Ventures

(4,916)

10,205

Energy Services

(2,911)

8,370

Home Services and Other

1,109

76

Subtotal Unregulated

(6,718)

18,651

Subtotal

40,142

54,015

Eliminations

263

78

Total

$

40,405

$

54,093

NJR Reaffirms Fiscal 2020 NFE Guidance:

NJR reaffirmed fiscal 2020 NFE guidance of $2.05 to $2.15 per share, subject to the risks and uncertainties identified below under “Forward-Looking Statements.” The following chart represents NJR’s updated current expected contributions from its subsidiaries for fiscal 2020:

Company

Expected Fiscal 2020
Net Financial Earnings Contribution

New Jersey Natural Gas

58 to 62 percent

Midstream

10 to 15 percent

Total Regulated

68 to 77 percent

Clean Energy Ventures

25 to 30 percent

Energy Services

1 to 5 percent

Home Services and Other

1 to 2 percent

Total Unregulated

27 to 37 percent

In providing fiscal 2020 NFE guidance, management is aware there could be differences between reported GAAP earnings and NFE due to matters such as, but not limited to, the positions of our energy-related derivatives. Management is not able to reasonably estimate the aggregate impact or significance of these items on reported earnings and, therefore, is not able to provide a reconciliation to the corresponding GAAP equivalent for its operating earnings guidance without unreasonable efforts.

Regulated Business Update:

New Jersey Natural Gas

NJNG reported first quarter fiscal 2020 NFE of $43.9 million, compared with $31.7 million during the same period in fiscal 2019. The increase was due primarily to the base rate increase resulting from NJNG's recent rate case settlement.

Customer Growth:

Rate Case Settlement:

Infrastructure Update:

BGSS Incentive Programs:

BGSS incentive programs contributed $2.7 million to utility gross margin in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, compared with $2.0 million during the same period in fiscal 2019. The higher results were due to improved margins in off-system sales and storage incentive programs, and were partially offset by a decrease in capacity release volume.

Energy-Efficiency Programs:

The SAVEGREEN Project®, NJNG’s energy-efficiency program, invested $8.7 million during the first quarter of fiscal 2020 to help customers with energy-efficiency upgrades for their homes, businesses and large hospitals.

Midstream

Midstream reported first quarter fiscal 2020 NFE of $3.0 million, compared with $3.7 million during the same period in fiscal 2019. The decrease in NFE was primarily due to the recognition of a $3.4 million gain in the first quarter of 2019 on NJR's equity investment in Dominion, partially offset by contributions from Leaf River.

Infrastructure Updates:

Unregulated Businesses Update:

Energy Services

Energy Services reported a first quarter fiscal 2020 net financial loss of $2.9 million, compared with NFE of $8.4 million during the same period last year. The decrease in NFE was due primarily to lower volumes and narrower pricing spreads in the wholesale natural gas markets, leading to fewer market opportunities as compared to the prior year.

Clean Energy Ventures

CEV reported a first quarter fiscal 2020 net financial loss of $4.9 million, compared with NFE of $10.2 million during the same period in fiscal 2019. The decrease was due to lower SREC revenue resulting from the timing of SREC sales, recognition of lower investment tax credits and the absence of contributions from the wind portfolio, which was sold in February 2019.

Solar Investment Update:

Home Services and Other Operations

Home Services and Other Operations reported first quarter fiscal 2020 NFE of $1.1 million, compared with NFE of $0.1 million during the same period in fiscal 2019. The increase was due primarily to increased installation revenue and lower O&M expenses.

Effective Tax Rate:

NJR’s estimated annual effective tax rate increased from (7.2) percent in fiscal 2019 to 0.6 percent in fiscal 2020. In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, NJR recognized $17.2 million related to tax credits, net of deferred taxes, compared with $22.3 million during the same period last year.

For NFE purposes, the effective tax rate also increased from (13.0) percent to (3.0) percent, and NJR recognized $14.5 million in tax credits, net of deferred taxes.

Capital Expenditures and Cash Flows:

NJR is committed to maintaining a strong financial profile, while continuing to invest capital in regulated and unregulated energy projects.

Sustainability Initiatives:

As part of NJR's commitment to sustainability and clean energy goals, the company has outlined a new sustainability agenda, highlighted by a commitment to voluntarily reduce its New Jersey operational emissions to 50% of 2006 levels by 2030. The new sustainability agenda, announced on January 22, 2020, includes:

NJR's sustainability website and more information can be found at NJRSustainability.com.

Webcast Information:

NJR will host a live webcast to discuss its financial results today at 10 a.m. ET. A few minutes prior to the webcast, go to njresources.com and select “Investor Relations,” then scroll down to the “Events & Presentations” section and click on the webcast link.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This earnings release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. New Jersey Resources Corporation (NJR) cautions readers that the assumptions forming the basis for forward-looking statements include many factors that are beyond NJR’s ability to control or estimate precisely, such as estimates of future market conditions and the behavior of other market participants. Words such as “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “may,” “will,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “should” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements and such forward-looking statements are made based upon management’s current expectations, assumptions and beliefs as of this date concerning future developments and their potential effect upon NJR. There can be no assurance that future developments will be in accordance with management’s expectations, assumptions and beliefs or that the effect of future developments on NJR will be those anticipated by management. Forward-looking statements in this earnings release include, but are not limited to, certain statements regarding NJR’s NFE guidance for fiscal 2020, forecasted contribution of business segments to fiscal 2020 NFE, future NJNG customer and utility gross margin growth, NJR's environmental sustainability and clean energy goals, emission reduction targets, future NJR capital expenditures, infrastructure programs and investments, Clean Energy Ventures’ ITC-eligible projects and demand for residential solar, earnings growth, as well as the ability to construct and operate the Adelphia Gateway project, operate the Leaf River Energy Center, and construct the SRL and PennEast pipeline projects.

Additional information and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from NJR’s expectations are contained in NJR’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including NJR’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other SEC filings, which are available at the SEC’s web site, http://www.sec.gov. Information included in this earnings release is representative as of today only and while NJR periodically reassesses material trends and uncertainties affecting NJR's results of operations and financial condition in connection with its preparation of management's discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition contained in its Quarterly and Annual Reports filed with the SEC, NJR does not, by including this statement, assume any obligation to review or revise any particular forward-looking statement referenced herein in light of future events.

Non-GAAP Financial Information:

This earnings release includes the non-GAAP financial measures NFE, NFE per basic share, financial margin and utility gross margin. A reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and reported in accordance with GAAP can be found below. As an indicator of NJR’s operating performance, these measures should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income or operating revenues as determined in accordance with GAAP. This information has been provided pursuant to the requirements of SEC Regulation G.

NFE/net financial loss and financial margin exclude unrealized gains or losses on derivative instruments related to the company’s unregulated subsidiaries and certain realized gains and losses on derivative instruments related to natural gas that has been placed into storage at Energy Services, net of applicable tax adjustments as described below. Volatility associated with the change in value of these financial instruments and physical commodity reported on the income statement in the current period. In order to manage its business, NJR views its results without the impacts of the unrealized gains and losses, and certain realized gains and losses, caused by changes in value of these financial instruments and physical commodity contracts prior to the completion of the planned transaction because it shows changes in value currently instead of when the planned transaction ultimately is settled. An annual estimated effective tax rate is calculated for NFE purposes and any necessary quarterly tax adjustment is applied to CEV, as such the adjustment is related to tax credits generated by CEV.

NJNG’s utility gross margin represents the results of revenues less natural gas costs, sales, expenses and other taxes and regulatory rider expenses, which are key components of NJR’s operations. Natural gas costs, sales, expenses and other taxes and regulatory rider expenses are passed through to customers and, therefore, have no effect on utility gross margin. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures as supplemental measures to other GAAP results to provide a more complete understanding of NJR’s performance. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures are more reflective of NJR’s business model, provide transparency to investors and enable period-to-period comparability of financial performance. A reconciliation of all non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and reported in accordance with GAAP can be found below. For a full discussion of NJR’s non-GAAP financial measures, please see NJR’s 2019 Form 10-K, Item 7.

About New Jersey Resources

New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR) is a Fortune 1000 company that, through its subsidiaries, provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. NJR is composed of five primary businesses:

NJR and its more than 1,100 employees are committed to helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency through Conserve to Preserve® and initiatives such as The SAVEGREEN Project® and The Sunlight Advantage®.

For more information about NJR:
www.njresources.com.
Follow us on Twitter @NJNaturalGas.
“Like” us on facebook.com/NewJerseyNaturalGas.
Download our free NJR investor relations app for iPad, iPhone and Android.

NJR-E

NEW JERSEY RESOURCES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

December 31,

(Thousands, except per share data)

2019

2018

OPERATING REVENUES

Utility

$

219,623

$

199,965

Nonutility

395,413

611,802

Total operating revenues

615,036

811,767

OPERATING EXPENSES

Gas purchases

Utility

91,814

87,649

Nonutility

317,356

535,383

Related parties

1,524

2,185

Operation and maintenance

63,345

63,343

Regulatory rider expenses

11,742

12,632

Depreciation and amortization

27,758

21,832

Total operating expenses

513,539

723,024

OPERATING INCOME

101,497

88,743

Other income, net

286

869

Interest expense, net of capitalized interest

16,070

13,486

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND EQUITY IN EARNINGS OF AFFILIATES

85,713

76,126

Income tax benefit

(259)

(6,961)

Equity in earnings of affiliates

3,389

3,161

NET INCOME

$

89,361

$

86,248

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE

Basic

$

0.97

$

0.97

Diluted

$

0.97

$

0.97

WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING

Basic

91,911

88,547

Diluted

92,320

88,946

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Three Months Ended

December 31,

(Thousands)

2019

2018

NEW JERSEY RESOURCES

A reconciliation of net income, the closest GAAP financial measurement, to net financial earnings is as follows:

Net income

$

89,361

$

86,248

Add:

Unrealized (gain) on derivative instruments and related transactions

(41,766)

(10,932)

Tax effect

9,931

2,583

Effects of economic hedging related to natural gas inventory

(8,887)

(21,611)

Tax effect

2,112

5,136

Net income to NFE tax adjustment

(10,346)

(7,331)

Net financial earnings

$

40,405

$

54,093

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding

Basic

91,911

88,547

Diluted

92,320

88,946

A reconciliation of basic earnings per share, the closest GAAP financial measurement, to basic net financial earnings per
share is as follows:

Basic earnings per share

$

0.97

$

0.97

Add:

Unrealized (gain) on derivative instruments and related transactions

$

(0.45)

$

(0.12)

Tax effect

$

0.11

$

0.03

Effects of economic hedging related to natural gas inventory

$

(0.10)

$

(0.25)

Tax effect

$

0.02

$

0.06

Net income to NFE tax adjustment

$

(0.11)

$

(0.08)

Basic NFE per share

$

0.44

$

0.61

NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION

A reconciliation of operating revenue, the closest GAAP financial measurement, to utility gross margin is as follows:

Operating revenues

$

219,623

$

199,965

Less:

Gas purchases

95,822

92,178

Regulatory rider expense

11,742

12,632

Utility gross margin

$

112,059

$

95,155

CLEAN ENERGY VENTURES

A reconciliation of net income to net financial earnings is as follows:

Net (loss) income

$

5,430

$

17,536

Add:

Net income to NFE tax adjustment

(10,346)

(7,331)

Net financial (loss) earnings

$

(4,916)

$

10,205

Three Months Ended

(Unaudited)

December 31,

(Thousands)

2019

2018

ENERGY SERVICES

The following table is a computation of financial margin:

Operating revenues

$

370,415

$

587,267

Less: Gas purchases

317,724

536,508

Add:

Unrealized (gain) on derivative instruments and related transactions

(42,194)

(11,177)

Effects of economic hedging related to natural gas inventory

(8,887)

(21,611)

Financial margin

$

1,610

$

17,971

A reconciliation of operating income, the closest GAAP financial measurement, to financial margin is as follows:

Operating income

$

47,924

$

44,886

Add:

Operation and maintenance expense

4,738

5,846

Depreciation and amortization

29

27

Subtotal

52,691

50,759

Add:

Unrealized (gain) on derivative instruments and related transactions

(42,194)

(11,177)

Effects of economic hedging related to natural gas inventory

(8,887)

(21,611)

Financial margin

$

1,610

$

17,971

A reconciliation of net income to net financial earnings is as follows:

Net income

$

36,025

$

33,374

Add:

Unrealized (gain) on derivative instruments and related transactions

(42,194)

(11,177)

Tax effect

10,033

2,648

Effects of economic hedging related to natural gas

(8,887)

(21,611)

Tax effect

2,112

5,136

Net financial (loss) earnings

$

(2,911)

$

8,370

Home Services and Other

A reconciliation of net income to net financial earnings is as follows:

Net income (loss)

$

1,109

$

(25)

Add:

Unrealized loss on derivative instruments and related transactions

—

141

Tax effect

—

(40)

Net financial earnings

$

1,109

$

76

FINANCIAL STATISTICS BY BUSINESS UNIT

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

December 31,

(Thousands, except per share data)

2019

2018

NEW JERSEY RESOURCES

Operating Revenues

Natural Gas Distribution

$

219,623

$

199,965

Clean Energy Ventures

6,212

14,897

Energy Services

370,415

587,267

Midstream

9,072

—

Home Services and Other

12,907

12,490

Sub-total

618,229

814,619

Eliminations

(3,193)

(2,852)

Total

$

615,036

$

811,767

Operating Income (Loss)

Natural Gas Distribution

$

59,057

$

43,032

Clean Energy Ventures

(10,559)

(174)

Energy Services

47,924

44,886

Midstream

2,167

(637)

Home Services and Other

2,127

373

Sub-total

100,716

87,480

Eliminations

781

1,263

Total

$

101,497

$

88,743

Equity in Earnings of Affiliates

Midstream

$

3,664

$

3,801

Eliminations

(275)

(640)

Total

$

3,389

$

3,161

Net Income (Loss)

Natural Gas Distribution

$

43,856

$

31,713

Clean Energy Ventures

5,430

17,536

Energy Services

36,025

33,374

Midstream

3,004

3,651

Home Services and Other

1,109

(25)

Sub-total

89,424

86,249

Eliminations

(63)

(1)

Total

$

89,361

$

86,248

Net Financial Earnings

Natural Gas Distribution

$

43,856

$

31,713

Clean Energy Ventures

(4,916)

10,205

Energy Services

(2,911)

8,370

Midstream

3,004

3,651

Home Services and Other

1,109

76

Sub-total

40,142

54,015

Eliminations

263

78

Total

$

40,405

$

54,093

Throughput (Bcf)

NJNG, Core Customers

30.7

26.7

NJNG, Off System/Capacity Management

27.9

27.4

Energy Services Fuel Mgmt. and Wholesale Sales

152.7

156.7

Total

211.3

210.8

Common Stock Data

Yield at December 31

2.8%

2.6%

Market Price at December 31

$

44.57

$

45.67

Shares Out. at December 31

95,508

88,680

Market Cap. at December 31

$

4,256,792

$

4,050,024

Three Months Ended

(Unaudited)

December 31,

(Thousands, except customer and weather data)

2019

2018

NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION

Utility Gross Margin

Operating revenues

$

219,623

$

199,965

Less:

Gas purchases

95,822

92,178

Regulatory rider expense

11,742

12,632

Total Utility Gross Margin

$

112,059

$

95,155

Utility Gross Margin, Operating Income and Net Income

Residential

$

77,082

$

64,139

Commercial, Industrial & Other

15,187

13,346

Firm Transportation

15,659

14,396

Total Firm Margin

107,928

91,881

Interruptible

1,402

1,319

Total System Margin

109,330

93,200

Off System/Capacity Management/FRM/Storage Incentive

2,729

1,955

Total Utility Gross Margin

112,059

95,155

Operation and maintenance expense

36,185

38,227

Depreciation and amortization

16,817

13,896

Operating Income

$

59,057

$

43,032

Net Income

$

43,856

$

31,713

Net Financial Earnings

$

43,856

$

31,713

Throughput (Bcf)

Residential

14.6

14.5

Commercial, Industrial & Other

2.8

2.8

Firm Transportation

4.3

4.4

Total Firm Throughput

21.7

21.7

Interruptible

9.0

5.0

Total System Throughput

30.7

26.7

Off System/Capacity Management

27.9

27.4

Total Throughput

58.6

54.1

Customers

Residential

489,491

478,983

Commercial, Industrial & Other

30,422

29,640

Firm Transportation

32,159

35,099

Total Firm Customers

552,072

543,722

Interruptible

32

32

Total System Customers

552,104

543,754

Off System/Capacity Management*

17

7

Total Customers

552,121

543,761

*The number of customers represents those active during the last month of the period.

Degree Days

Actual

1,611

1,638

Normal

1,572

1,565

Percent of Normal

102.5%

104.7%

Three Months Ended

(Unaudited)

December 31,

(Thousands, except customer, SREC and megawatt)

2019

2018

CLEAN ENERGY VENTURES

Operating Revenues

SREC sales

$

2,194

$

7,147

Wind electricity sales and other

—

3,736

Solar electricity sales and other

1,558

1,882

Sunlight Advantage

2,460

2,132

Total Operating Revenues

$

6,212

$

14,897

Depreciation and Amortization

$

9,437

$

7,923

Operating Loss

$

(10,559)

$

(174)

Income Tax Benefit

$

(20,564)

$

(23,204)

Net Income

$

5,430

$

17,536

Net Financial (Loss) Earnings

$

(4,916)

$

10,205

Solar Renewable Energy Certificates Generated

81,489

53,899

Solar Renewable Energy Certificates Sold

9,693

37,820

Solar Megawatts Eligible for ITCs

4.2

20.9

Solar Megawatts Under Construction

45.0

33.1

ENERGY SERVICES

Operating Income

Operating revenues

$

370,415

$

587,267

Less:

Gas purchases

317,724

536,508

Operation and maintenance expense

4,738

5,846

Depreciation and amortization

29

27

Operating Income

$

47,924

$

44,886

Net Income

$

36,025

$

33,374

Financial Margin

$

1,610

$

17,971

Net Financial (Loss) Earnings

$

(2,911)

$

8,370

Gas Sold and Managed (Bcf)

152.7

156.7

MIDSTREAM

Operating Revenues

$

9,072

$

—

Equity in Earnings of Affiliates

$

3,664

$

3,801

Operation and Maintenance Expense

$

4,878

$

636

Other Income, Net

$

697

$

1,992

Interest Expense

$

2,822

$

543

Income Tax Provision

$

702

$

962

Net Income

$

3,004

$

3,651

HOME SERVICES AND OTHER

Operating Revenues

$

12,907

$

12,490

Operating Income

$

2,127

$

373

Other Expense , Net

$

(528)

$

(198)

Net Income (Loss)

$

1,109

$

(25)

Net Financial Earnings

$

1,109

$

76

Total Service Contract Customers at December 31

108,233

109,919

Media:

Michael Kinney

732-938-1031

[email protected]

Investors:

Dennis Puma

732-938-1229

[email protected]

Source: New Jersey Resources

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