8-KRegulation FD

AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER CO INC 8-K Report, Regulation FD Disclosure (May 26, 2010)

Filed May 26, 2010For Securities:AEP

Summary

This 8-K filing from American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) on May 26, 2010, primarily serves as a notification regarding an upcoming investor meeting scheduled for May 26, 2010. During this meeting, AEP intends to reaffirm its previously issued guidance for ongoing earnings per share (EPS) for the 2010 fiscal year, which ranges from $2.80 to $3.20. This guidance was initially communicated in an 8-K filing on April 29, 2010. The company emphasizes that it uses 'ongoing earnings,' which are GAAP earnings adjusted for certain items, as its primary performance metric for communicating with investors and analysts. This adjusted figure is also used internally for performance measurement and reporting to the board of directors, indicating its significance in AEP's financial reporting and strategic outlook.

Key Highlights

  • 1AEP to reaffirm 2010 fiscal year ongoing earnings per share guidance of $2.80 to $3.20.
  • 2Guidance was previously provided in an 8-K filing on April 29, 2010.
  • 3The reaffirmation will occur during an investor meeting on May 26, 2010.
  • 4AEP utilizes 'ongoing earnings' (adjusted GAAP earnings) as its primary performance metric for investor communications.
  • 5The company also uses ongoing earnings internally for performance measurement and board reporting.
  • 6The filing includes standard forward-looking statements and risk factors pertinent to the utility industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main purpose of this 8-K filing is to inform investors that American Electric Power (AEP) will be reaffirming its previously issued earnings guidance for the 2010 fiscal year during an investor meeting on May 26, 2010.

AEP is reaffirming its ongoing earnings per share guidance for the 2010 fiscal year to be in the range of $2.80 to $3.20.

AEP defines 'ongoing earnings' as GAAP earnings that have been adjusted for certain items. The company considers this metric a more meaningful representation of its performance and uses it as its primary performance measurement when communicating with analysts and investors.

The filing lists several risk factors, including electric load and customer growth, weather conditions, fuel costs and availability, regulatory decisions (including rate cases and environmental compliance), litigation, operating costs, economic conditions in its service territory, financial market conditions, and changes in utility regulation.