Bankruptcy. Industry: energy
NRG operates power plants and sells electric power to wholesale business customers, and in competitive retail energy markets of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas, as well as the District of Columbia.
| Most recent | Growth rate (CAGR) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | ||
| Book value of equity per share | -$5.69 | — | — | — |
| BV including aggregate dividends | — | — | — | |
| Most recent | Median | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | ||
| ROE | — | — | -3.4% | 2.1% |
| ROA | 3.5% | -1.3% | -3.8% | 0.3% |
| Most recent | Growth rate (CAGR) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | ||
| EPS | $1.67 | — | — | -9.9% |
| Annual dividends | $0.12 | 0% | -24.2% | — |
| Share price | $34.65 |
| Most recent | Median | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | ||
| P/B ratio | — | — | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| P/E ratio | 20.75 | 49.5 | 92.4 | 13.9 |
A company creates wealth for its long-term shareholders in 2 main ways - through dividend payments and through the accumulation of retained earnings. This graph shows the accumulation of per-share equity of long-term shareholders (green bars), which consists of the retained earnings plus all capital invested in the company, and the cumulative dividends the company has paid over time per share of its stock (blue bars).
In the words of Warren Buffett: "We're looking for... businesses earning good returns on equity while employing little or no debt."
Return on equity is a key metric of financial performance, indicating a company's ability to generate earnings using shareholder capital. Over time, ROE is one of the major determinants of the rate at which a company creates shareholder wealth. The average ROE for large U.S. companies is 12%, and many investors use it as a threshold for attractive investments.
Companies can boost ROE by increasing leverage, which reduces the safety of the investment. Therefore, it is useful to look at the return on assets (ROA), which measures a company's earning power regardless of its capital structure. A widening gap between ROE and ROA may be a warning sign that should be thoroughly investigated.
Earnings per share is a popular metric used to value a company (using P/E ratio); growth in EPS is often used to judge company growth potential. However, many investors believe that EPS is an inferior metric to ROE, because it ignores the amount of capital the company used to generate earnings.
Free cash flow shows how much cash a company generates from operations, above and beyond what is required to maintain or expand its productive assets. This cash can be returned to investors, or spent by management on growing the company or paying back its debts.
Balance sheets of many companies contain intangible assets such as goodwill, trademarks, patents, etc. Many investors consider intangibles more difficult to value than physical assets. If intangible assets had been valued incorrectly, they must be impaired, resulting in a loss charged against shareholder equity. This chart demonstrates the potential loss to shareholder equity from such impairments.
Companies often use debt financing to increase their return on equity. However, as the amount of debt financing increases relative to the amount of equity financing, the company becomes more sensitive to down turns and other negative events. As a result, many investors use the ratio of debt to equity as a measure of a company's financial risk, and avoid companies that have this ratio above 1.
This chart shows shareholder equity as a percentage of total assets, allowing investors to judge the overall leverage. Companies with a higher proportion of equity can be viewed as safer investments. This metric is particularly important for highly leveraged institutions, such as banks, where it must be at least 4% according to government regulations.
The ratio of current assets to current liabilities is known as the current ratio. This metric is a quick measure of the company's ability to pay its short-term obligations. A current ratio below 1 is a warning sign that should be investigated, especially for companies that cannot count on adequate cash flow from operations.
This chart shows the cumulative dilution of investor ownership in a company over time. Dilution reduces an investor's participation in the future earnings. Dilution increases when a company issues new shares, and decreases when a company buys its shares back. Many investors avoid companies with large chronic dilution.
DuPont
analysis provides insight into factors affecting the Return On Equity of a company.
The DuPont equation decomposes ROE as follows:
ROE = (Net margin) * (Asset turnover) * (Asset to equity ratio)
Net margin indicates operating efficiency, Asset turnover measures
the total asset use efficiency, and the Asset to equity ratio is a measure of financial leverage.
The dividend payout ratio tells investors what percentage of earnings a company returns to shareholders, and what percentage it retains and reinvests. This ratio represents a major capital allocation decision by the company, and can be used to judge management rationality. Rational management should pay out all earnings that cannot be productively reinvested. Therefore, a low dividend payout ratio for a profitable company with a low growth potential may be a warning sign.
Many investors use the P/B ratio as a quick way of judging company valuation. Value investors - followers of Graham and Dodd - specifically seek out companies with low P/B ratios. However, investors should be careful not to make investment decisions on this metric alone, without considering a company's earning and growth potential, since a low P/B ratio can be a sign of a bleak future for the business.
P/E ratio is a popular way of making a quick judgment of a company valuation. Value investors - followers of Graham and Dodd - often seek solid companies with low P/E ratios as investment opportunities. However, P/E ratio represents an oversimplified approach to business valuation, and can often lead to incorrect investment decisions.
In connection with its restructuring efforts, on May 14, 2003 NRG Energy and certain of its U.S. affiliates filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. NRG Energy expects operations to continue as normal during the restructuring process, while it operates its business as a debtor-in-possession under the jurisdiction of the Bankruptcy Court and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and orders of the Bankruptcy Court.
On November 24, 2003, the bankruptcy court entered an order confirming our plan of reorganization and the plan became effective on December 5, 2003. As part of the plan of reorganization, Xcel Energy relinquished its ownership interest and we became an independent public company upon our emergence from bankruptcy on December 5, 2003. We no longer have any material affiliation or relationship with Xcel Energy. As part of that reorganization, we eliminated approximately $5.2 billion of corporate level bank and bond debt and approximately $1.3 billion of additional claims and disputes by distributing a combination of equity and up to $1.04 billion in cash among our unsecured creditors. In addition to the debt reduction associated with the restructuring, we used a substantial portion of the proceeds of a recent note offering and borrowings under a new credit facility, the Refinancing Transactions, to retire approximately $1.7 billion of project-level debt. The Refinancing Transactions eliminated certain structurally senior project level debt and associated cash traps at subsidiaries operating in the Northeast and South Central regions of the United States. In January 2004, we used proceeds of an additional note offering to repay $503.5 million of the outstanding borrowings under our term loan facility. As a result of our emergence from bankruptcy, we have adopted Fresh Start reporting, or Fresh Start. Under Fresh Start, our confirmed enterprise value has been allocated to our assets and liabilities based on their respective fair values in conformity with the purchase method of accounting for business combinations.
We were formed in 1992 as the non-utility subsidiary of Northern States Power Company, or NSP, which was itself merged into New Century Energies, Inc. to form Xcel Energy, Inc., or Xcel Energy, in 2000. In 2002, a number of factors including the overall downturn in the power generation industry, triggered a series of credit rating downgrades which, in turn, precipitated a severe liquidity crisis at the Company. From May 14 to December 23, 2003, we and a number of our subsidiaries undertook a comprehensive reorganization and restructuring under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. All NRG entities have emerged from chapter 11 as of December 31, 2005. As part of our reorganization, Xcel Energy relinquished its ownership interest in us, and we became an independent public company. We no longer have any material affiliation or relationship with Xcel Energy.
On February 2, 2006, NRG acquired Texas Genco LLC pursuant to an Acquisition Agreement dated September 30, 2005. As such, the results of Texas Genco LLC have been included in NRGs consolidated financial statements since February 2, 2006. The purchase price of approximately $6.2 billion consisted of approximately $4.4 billion in cash, the issuance of approximately 35.4 million shares of NRGs common stock valued at approximately $1.7 billion and acquisition costs of approximately $0.1 billion. The value of NRGs common stock issued to the Sellers was based on NRGs average stock price immediately before and after the closing date of February 2, 2006. The acquisition also included the assumption of approximately $2.7 billion of Texas Genco LLC debt. Texas Genco LLC is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRG, and is being managed and accounted for as a separate business segment referred to as NRG Texas. The acquisition of Texas Genco LLC and related financing activities were funded at closing with a combination of (i) cash proceeds received upon the issuance and sale in a public offering of 20,855,057 shares of NRGs common stock at a price of $48.75 per share; (ii) cash proceeds received upon the issuance and sale of $1.2 billion aggregate principal amount of 7.25% Senior Notes due 2014 and $2.4 billion aggregate principal amount of 7.375% Senior Notes due 2016; (iii) cash proceeds received upon the issuance and sale in a public offering of 2,000,000 shares of mandatory convertible preferred stock at a price of $250 per share; (iv) funds borrowed under a new senior secured credit facility consisting of a $3.6 billion term loan facility, a $1.0 billion revolving credit facility and a $1.0 billion synthetic letter of credit facility; and (v) cash on hand. Like the rest of NRG, NRG Texas is a wholesale power generator whose principal business is selling electric wholesale power produced by power plants to wholesale purchasers such as retail electric providers, power trading organizations and other power generation companies. NRG Texas is the second-largest generation company in the ERCOT market and the largest owner of power plants in the Houston area. As of September 30, 2006, NRG Texas operated 52 generating units at nine power generation plants, including an undivided 44% interest in two nuclear generation units at STP. The aggregate net generation capacity at NRG Texas is approximately 10,800 MW, which includes approximately 5,300 MW of low marginal cost solid fuel and nuclear powered baseload plants. The acquisition of Texas Genco LLC was accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and, accordingly, the purchase price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the estimated fair value of such assets and liabilities as of February 2, 2006.
On May 1, 2009, NRG, through its wholly owned subsidiary NRG Retail LLC, acquired Reliant Energy, which consisted of all of the Texas electric retail business operations of RRI, including the exclusive use of the trade name Reliant. Reliant Energy arranges for the transmission and delivery of electricity to customers, bills customers, collects payments for electricity sold and maintains call centers to provide customer service. Reliant Energy is the second largest electricity provider to residential and small business, or mass, customers in Texas, with approximately 1.6 million mass customers as of June 30, 2009. Reliant Energy also sells electricity and energy services to commercial, industrial and governmental/institutional customers, or C&I customers, in Texas with 0.1 million C&I customers based on metered locations as of June 30, 2009. These customers include refineries, chemical plants, manufacturing facilities, hospitals, universities, government agencies, restaurants, and other facilities. The acquisition of Reliant Energy is accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with SFAS 141R. The total consideration was approximately $401 million.
On December 14, 2012, NRG completed the previously announced Merger with GenOn in accordance with the Merger Agreement, with GenOn continuing as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRG. The Company issued, as consideration for the Merger, 0.1216 shares of NRG common stock for each outstanding share of GenOn, including restricted stock units outstanding, on the acquisition date, totaling 93.9 million shares of NRG common stock, and approximately $1 million in cash for fractional shares. The Merger was accounted for as an acquisition, and NRG was deemed to have acquired GenOn for accounting purposes. Specifically, consolidated financial statements and financial and operational results of NRG include the results of the combined entities from December 15, 2012, unless indicated otherwise. GenOn, a generator of wholesale electricity, has baseload, intermediate and peaking power generation facilities using coal, natural gas and oil, totaling approximately 21,440 MW.
On August 12, 2014, NRG Yield, Inc., through its subsidiary Yield Operating, completed the acquisition of 100% of the membership interests of Alta Wind Asset Management Holdings, LLC, Alta Wind Company, LLC, Alta Wind X Holding Company, LLC, and Alta Wind XI Holding Company, LLC, which collectively own seven wind facilities that total 947 MWs located in Tehachapi, California and a portfolio of land leases, or the Alta Wind Assets. Power generated by the Alta Wind facility is sold to Southern California Edison under long-term power purchase agreements with 21 years of remaining contract life for Alta I-V and 22 years, beginning in 2016, for Alta X and XI. The purchase price of the Alta Wind Assets was $923 million, which was comprised of purchase price of $870 million and $53 million paid for working capital balances. In order to fund the purchase price of the acquisition, NRG Yield, Inc. issued 12,075,000 shares of its Class A common stock on July 29, 2014 for net proceeds of $630 million. In addition, on August 5, 2014, Yield Operating issued $500 million in aggregate principal amount at par of 5.375% senior notes due August 2024. Interest on the notes is payable semi-annually on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on February 15, 2015. The notes are senior unsecured obligations of Yield Operating and are guaranteed by NRG Yield LLC, Yield Operatings parent company, and by certain of Yield Operatings wholly owned subsidiaries. The acquisition was recorded as a business combination under ASC 805, with identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed provisionally recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition date.
During the fourth quarter of 2015, as the Company updated its view for long-term prices in connection with the preparation of its annual budget, it was noted that the cash flows for the Limestone and W.A. Parish coal-fired facilities located in Texas were lower than the carrying amount, primarily driven by declining power prices as the cost of commodities continues to decline and the assets were impaired. The fair value of the Limestone and W.A. Parish plants was determined using an income approach by applying a discounted cash flow methodology to the long-term budgets for each respective plant. The income approach utilized estimates of discounted future cash flows, which were Level 3 fair value measurements, and include key inputs such as forecasted power prices, fuel costs and emissions credit expense, forecasted operating and capital expenditures and discount rates. The Company measured the impairment loss as the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the assets and recognized impairment losses of $1,514 million and $1,295 million related to Limestone and W.A. Parish, respectively.
On June 14, 2017, or the Petition Date, GenOn, along with GenOn Americas Generation and certain of their directly and indirectly-owned subsidiaries, or collectively the GenOn Entities, filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11, or the Chapter 11 Cases, of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, or the Bankruptcy Code, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, or the Bankruptcy Court. GenOn Mid-Atlantic, as well as its consolidated subsidiaries, REMA and certain other subsidiaries, did not file for relief under Chapter 11. As a result of the bankruptcy filings and beginning on June 14, 2017, GenOn and its subsidiaries were deconsolidated from NRGs consolidated financial statements. NRG recorded its investment in GenOn under the cost method with an estimated fair value of zero. NRG has determined that this disposal of GenOn and its subsidiaries is a discontinued operation; and, accordingly, the financial information for all historical periods have been recast to reflect GenOn as a discontinued operation. In connection with the disposal, NRG has recorded a loss on deconsolidation of $208 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2017. See Note 3, Discontinued Operations and Dispositions, for more information. Prior to the GenOn Entities' filing the Chapter 11 Cases, NRG entered into a restructuring support and lock-up agreement, or the Restructuring Support Agreement, with the GenOn Entities and certain holders of the GenOn and GenOn Americas Generation Senior Notes, that provides for a restructuring and recapitalization of the GenOn Entities through a prearranged plan of reorganization. There is no assurance that the GenOn Entities' plan will be approved by the requisite stakeholders, confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, or successfully implemented thereafter. The principal terms of the Restructuring Support Agreement are described further in Note 3, Discontinued Operations and Dispositions.
On August 31, 2018, the Company completed the sale of its interests in NRG Yield, Inc. and its Renewables Platform to GIP, for total cash consideration of $1.348 billion. The Company has concluded that the divested businesses meet the criteria for discontinued operations, as the dispositions represent a strategic shift in the markets in which NRG operates. As such, all prior period results for the transaction have been reclassified as discontinued operations. In connection with the transaction, NRG entered into a transition services agreement to provide certain corporate services to the divested businesses.