Essential Utilities - 10-Q quarterly report FY2011 Q3

The accompanying consolidated balance sheets and statements of capitalization of Aqua America, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) at September 30, 2011, the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income for the nine and three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, the consolidated statements of cash flow for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, and the consolidated statement of equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, are unaudited, but reflect all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring accruals, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position, the consolidated changes in equity, the consolidated results of operations, and the consolidated cash flow for the periods presented. Because they cover interim periods, the statements and related notes to the financial statements do not include all disclosures and notes normally provided in annual financial statements and, therefore, should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. The results of operations for interim periods may not be indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. The December 31, 2010 consolidated balance sheet data presented herein was derived from the Company’s December 31, 2010 audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures and notes normally provided in annual financial statements. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified including reporting discontinued operations (see Note 4) and to conform to the current period presentation.

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s goodwill, by business segment:

Included in the Company’s regulated segment goodwill balance at September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 is $12,316 of goodwill associated with discontinued operations.

The reclassification of goodwill to utility plant acquisition adjustment results from a mechanism approved by the applicable public utility commission. The mechanism provides for the transfer over time, and the recovery through customer rates, of goodwill associated with certain acquisitions upon achieving certain objectives.

As of July 31, 2011, management performed its annual test of goodwill for impairment, in conjunction with the timing of the Company’s annual five-year financial plan. Based on the Company’s comparison of the estimated fair value of each reporting unit to its respective carrying amount management concluded that the estimated fair value of each reporting unit was substantially in excess of the reporting unit’s carrying amount, indicating that none of the Company’s goodwill was impaired.

As part of the Company’s growth-through-acquisition strategy, in July 2011, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with American Water Works Company, Inc. (“American Water”) to purchase all of the stock of the subsidiary that holds American Water’s regulated water and wastewater operations in Ohio for cash of approximately $88,000 at closing plus certain assumed liabilities, including debt of approximately $16,000. American Water’s Ohio operations serve approximately 57,000 customers. The purchase price is subject to certain adjustments at closing, and closing is conditioned upon the closing of the Company’s sale of its regulated water operations in New York to American Water, and is subject to applicable regulatory approvals. The transaction will be accounted for as a business combination and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012.

In June 2011, the Company completed its acquisition of approximately 51 water and five wastewater systems in Texas serving approximately 5,300 customers. The total purchase price consisted of $6,245 in cash. The pro forma effect of the business acquired is not material to the Company’s results of operations.

Discontinued Operations — In July 2011, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with Connecticut Water Service, Inc. to sell its regulated water operations in Maine for cash of approximately $35,800 at closing plus certain assumed liabilities, including debt of approximately $17,500. The purchase price is subject to certain adjustments at closing. This subsidiary is included in the Regulated segment, and as of September 30, 2011, the carrying amount of Maine’s assets and liabilities were $60,844 and $48,202, respectively. The Company’s Maine operations serve approximately 16,000 customers. The sale is conditioned, among other things, on the receipt of regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012. In the third quarter, the Company recognized additional income tax expense of $4,501 for the additional deferred tax liabilities that arise from the difference between the stock and tax basis of the Company’s investment in its Aqua Maine subsidiary. The completion of this transaction will conclude the Company’s operations in Maine.

In July 2011, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with American Water to sell its regulated water operations in New York for cash of approximately $42,000 at closing plus certain assumed liabilities, including debt of approximately $23,000. This subsidiary is included in the Regulated segment, and as of September 30, 2011, the carrying amount of New York’s assets and liabilities were $108,883 and $66,619, respectively. In the third quarter, the Company recognized additional income tax expense of $2,937 for the additional deferred tax liabilities that arise from the difference between the stock and tax basis of the Company’s investment in its Aqua New York subsidiary. The Company’s New York operations serve approximately 51,000 customers. The purchase price is subject to certain adjustments at closing, and closing is conditioned upon the closing of the Company’s acquisition of American Water’s regulated water and wastewater operations in Ohio, and is subject to applicable regulatory approvals. The sale is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012. The completion of this transaction will conclude the Company’s operations in New York.

Based on an assessment of the sale prices and the carrying values of the Company’s planned dispositions of its Maine and New York operations, there is no anticipated impairment of our long-lived assets or goodwill expected to be recognized as a result of the sale agreements. However, in the third quarter of 2011, the Company recognized an estimated loss on disposition of $1,254 primarily due to the cessation of depreciation in its New York operations.

The operating results, cash flows, and financial position of the Company’s subsidiaries named above have been presented in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow, and Consolidated Balance Sheets as discontinued operations.

A summary of discontinued operations presented in the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income include the following:

The assets and liabilities of discontinued operations presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets include the following:

Other Dispositions — The following dispositions have not been presented as discontinued operations in the Company’s consolidated financial statements as the Company does not believe that disclosure of the following disposed water and wastewater utility systems as discontinued operations is meaningful to the reader of the financial statements for making investment decisions either individually or in the aggregate.

In June 2011, the Company sold a water and wastewater utility system for net proceeds of $4,106. The sale resulted in the recognition of a gain on the sale, net of expenses, of $1,580 in the second quarter of 2011, and is reported in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income as a reduction to operations and maintenance expense. Further, an additional amount of contingent gain was deferred pending the final regulatory treatment afforded to such item.

In May 2011, the Company sold its regulated water and wastewater operations in Missouri for net proceeds of $3,225. This sale of the Company’s Missouri operations concluded the bulk of our regulated utility operations in Missouri.

In January 2011, the Company sold a water and wastewater utility system in Texas for net proceeds of $3,118. The sale resulted in the recognition of a gain on the sale of these assets, net of expenses, of $2,452. The gain is reported in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income as a reduction to operations and maintenance expense.

The City of Fort Wayne, Indiana (the “City”) has authorized the acquisition by eminent domain of the northern portion of the utility system of one of the operating subsidiaries that the Company acquired in connection with the AquaSource acquisition in 2003. In 2008, the Company reached a settlement with the City to transition the northern portion of the system in 2008 upon receipt of the City’s initial valuation payment of $16,911. The settlement agreement specifically stated that the final valuation of the northern portion of the Company’s system will be determined through a continuation of the legal proceedings that were filed challenging the City’s valuation. On February 12, 2008, the Company turned over the northern portion of the system to the City upon receipt of the initial valuation payment. The proceeds received by the Company are in excess of the book value of the assets relinquished. No gain has been recognized due to the contingency over the final valuation of the assets. Once the contingency is resolved and the asset valuation is finalized, through the finalization of the litigation between the Company and the City of Fort Wayne, the amounts deferred will be recognized in the Company’s consolidated income statement. On March 16, 2009, oral argument was held on certain procedural aspects with respect to the valuation evidence that may be presented and whether the Company is entitled to a jury trial. On October 12, 2010, the Wells County Indiana Circuit Court ruled that the Company is not entitled to a jury trial, and that the Wells County judge should review the City of Fort Wayne Board of Public Works’ assessment based upon a “capricious, arbitrary or an abuse of discretion” standard. The Company disagreed with the Court’s decision and as such on November 11, 2010, requested that the Wells County Indiana Circuit Court certify those issues for an interim appeal. The Wells County Indiana Circuit Court granted that request and on March 7, 2011, the Indiana Court of Appeals granted the Company’s request to review the decision of those issues on appeal. On July 6, 2011, the Company filed its appeal with the Indiana Court of Appeals. The case is now pending before the Indiana Court of Appeals. Depending upon the outcome of all of the legal proceedings the Company may be required to refund a portion of the initial valuation payment, or may receive additional proceeds. The northern portion of the utility system relinquished represents approximately 0.4% of the Company’s total assets.

The carrying amount of current assets and liabilities that are considered financial instruments approximates their fair value as of the dates presented. The carrying amounts and estimated fair values of the Company’s long-term debt are as follows:

Included in the carrying amount of the Company’s long-term debt as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, is long-term debt associated with discontinued operations of $40,643 and $40,932, respectively. The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 for its discontinued operations is $42,708 and $40,612, respectively.

The fair value of long-term debt has been determined by discounting the future cash flows using current market interest rates for similar financial instruments of the same duration. The Company’s customers’ advances for construction and related tax deposits have a carrying value of $68,087 as of September 30, 2011, and $66,966 as of December 31, 2010, which includes customer’s advances for construction and related tax deposits associated with discontinued operations of $1,718 and $1,716, respectively. Their relative fair values cannot be accurately estimated because future refund payments depend on several variables, including new customer connections, customer consumption levels, and future rate increases. Portions of these non-interest bearing instruments are payable annually through 2026 and amounts not paid by the contract expiration dates become non-refundable. The fair value of these amounts would, however, be less than their carrying value due to the non-interest bearing feature.

Basic net income per common share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net income per common share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and potentially dilutive shares. The dilutive effect of employee stock-based compensation is included in the computation of diluted net income per common share. The dilutive effect of stock-based compensation is calculated using the treasury stock method and expected proceeds upon exercise or issuance of the stock-based compensation. The following table summarizes the shares, in thousands, used in computing basic and diluted net income per common share:

For the nine and three months ended September 30, 2011, employee stock options to purchase 933,800 shares of common stock, were excluded from the calculations of diluted net income per share as the calculated proceeds from the options’ exercise were greater than the average market price of the Company’s common stock during these periods. For the nine and three months ended September 30, 2010, employee stock options to purchase 2,623,273 and 1,512,197 shares of common stock, respectively, were excluded from the calculations of diluted net income per share as the calculated proceeds from the options’ exercise were greater than the average market price of the Company’s common stock during these periods.

Under the Company’s 2009 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan (the “2009 Plan”), as approved by the Company’s shareholders to replace the 2004 Equity Compensation Plan (the “2004 Plan”), stock options, stock units, stock awards, stock appreciation rights, dividend equivalents, and other stock-based awards may be granted to employees, non-employee directors, and consultants and advisors. The 2009 Plan authorizes 5,000,000 shares for issuance under the plan. A maximum of 50% of the shares available for issuance under the 2009 Plan may be issued as restricted stock and the maximum number of shares that may be subject to grants under the Plan to any one individual in any one year is 200,000. Awards under the 2009 Plan are made by a committee of the Board of Directors. At September 30, 2011, 4,133,278 shares underlying stock-based compensation awards were still available for grants under the 2009 Plan. No further grants may be made under the 2004 Plan.

Included within the Company’s stock-based compensation for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 is $77 and $80, respectively, and for the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 is $27 and $23, respectively, of stock-based compensation associated with discontinued operations.

Performance Share Units — A performance share unit (“PSU”) represents the right to receive a share of the Company’s common stock if specified performance goals are met over the three year performance period specified in the grant, subject to certain exceptions through the three year vesting period. Each grantee is granted a target award of PSUs, and may earn between 0% and 200% of the target amount depending on the Company’s performance against the performance goals. During the nine and three months ended September 30, 2011, the Company recorded stock-based compensation related to PSUs as a component of operations and maintenance expense of $697, and $336, respectively. The following table summarizes nonvested PSU transactions for the nine months ended September 30, 2011:

The fair value of PSUs was estimated at the grant date based on the probability of satisfying the performance conditions associated with the PSUs using the Monte Carlo valuation method. The per unit weighted-average fair value at the date of grant for PSUs granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was $24.38. The fair value of each PSU grant is amortized into compensation expense on a straight-line basis over their respective vesting periods, which range from 24 to 36 months. The accrual of compensation costs is based on our estimate of the final expected value of the award, and is adjusted as required. The Company assumes that forfeitures will be minimal, and recognizes forfeitures as they occur, which results in a reduction in compensation expense. The recording of compensation expense for PSUs has no impact on net cash flows.

Restricted Stock Units — A restricted stock unit (“RSU”) represents the right to receive a share of the Company’s common stock. RSUs are eligible to be earned at the end of a specified restricted period, generally three years, beginning on the date of grant. During the nine and three months ended September 30, 2011, the Company recorded stock-based compensation related to awards of RSUs as a component of operations and maintenance expense of $243, and $102, respectively. The Company assumes that forfeitures will be minimal, and recognizes forfeitures as they occur, which results in a reduction in compensation expense. The following table summarizes nonvested RSU transactions for the nine months ended September 30, 2011:

Stock Options — The fair value of stock options is estimated at the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The following table provides compensation costs for stock-based compensation related to stock options granted in prior periods:

There were no stock options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2011. During the second quarter of 2011, the Company changed its estimation assumptions related to its historical stock option forfeitures which resulted in a favorable adjustment to compensation expense of $644 and additional income tax expense of $52.

The following table summarizes stock option transactions for the nine months ended September 30, 2011:

Restricted Stock — During the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded stock-based compensation related to restricted stock awards as a component of operations and maintenance expense in the amounts of $1,451 and $1,555, respectively. During the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded stock-based compensation related to restricted stock awards as a component of operations and maintenance expense in the amounts of $351 and $412, respectively. The following table summarizes nonvested restricted stock transactions for the nine months ended September 30, 2011:

The Company maintains qualified defined benefit pension plans, nonqualified pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans for certain of its employees. The net periodic benefit cost is based on estimated values and an extensive use of assumptions about the discount rate, expected return on plan assets, the rate of future compensation increases received by the Company’s employees, mortality, turnover, and medical costs. The following tables provide the components of net periodic benefit costs:

Included within the Company’s net periodic benefit costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 is $1,118 and $1,121, respectively, and for the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 is $405 and $333, respectively, of net periodic benefit costs associated with discontinued operations.

The Company made cash contributions of $16,840 to its defined benefit pension plans during the first nine months of 2011, and intends to make cash contributions of $300 to the plans during the remainder of 2011. In addition, the Company expects to make cash contributions of $2,012 for the funding of its other postretirement benefit plans during the remainder of 2011.

During the first nine months of 2011, the Company’s operating divisions in North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Maine, were granted base rate increases designed to increase total operating revenues on an annual basis by $6,087.

During the first nine months of 2011, the Company’s operating division in Pennsylvania received infrastructure rehabilitation surcharges of $13,150. Infrastructure rehabilitation surcharges are capped as a percentage of base rates, generally at 5% to 9% of base rates, and are reset to zero when new base rates that reflect the costs of those additions become effective or when a utility’s earnings exceed a regulatory benchmark.

In October 2010, the Company’s operating subsidiary in Texas began to bill interim rates for one of its divisions in accordance with authorization from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (“TCEQ”). The additional revenue billed and collected prior to the TCEQ’S final ruling is subject to refund based on the outcome of the rate case. The rate case is expected to conclude with the issuance of an order in the fourth quarter of 2011. However, based on the Company’s review of the rate proceeding during the third quarter of 2011, a revenue reserve was removed and additional operating revenues were recognized of $3,098. As of September 30, 2011, to date we have recognized $6,195 of revenue that is subject to refund based on the outcome of the final commission order. Based on the Company’s review of the present circumstances, a reserve is not considered necessary for the revenue recognized to date.

The following table provides the components of taxes other than income taxes:

Included within the Company’s taxes other than income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 is $8,249 and $7,824, respectively, and for the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 is $2,840 and $2,740, respectively, of taxes other than income taxes associated with discontinued operations.

The Company has identified thirteen operating segments and has one reportable segment named the “Regulated” segment. The reportable segment is comprised of twelve operating segments for the Company’s water and wastewater regulated utility companies which are organized by the states where we provide these services. In addition, one segment is not quantitatively significant to be reportable and is comprised of the businesses that provide on-site septic tank pumping, sludge hauling services and certain other non-regulated water and wastewater services. This segment is included as a component of “Other” in the tables below. Also included in “Other” are corporate costs that have not been allocated to the Regulated segment and intersegment eliminations.

The following table presents the Company’s segment information for its continuing operations: