8-KRegulation FD

AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER CO INC 8-K Report, Regulation FD Disclosure (Sep 20, 2010)

Filed September 20, 2010For Securities:AEP

Summary

American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) filed an 8-K on September 20, 2010, to inform investors that the company would be reaffirming its previously issued full-year 2010 guidance for "ongoing earnings" of $2.80 to $3.20 per share. This guidance was initially provided on July 30, 2010. The company emphasizes that it uses "ongoing earnings," which are GAAP earnings adjusted for certain items, as its primary performance metric when communicating with analysts and investors, and also for internal performance measurement and reporting to the board of directors. While the filing does not introduce new financial figures or strategic shifts, it serves as a confirmation of AEP's financial outlook during a period of investor meetings. Investors should note that the company explicitly states its forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including factors like economic conditions, regulatory changes, fuel costs, and operational performance, which could materially impact actual results.

Key Highlights

  • 1AEP reaffirms its 2010 "ongoing earnings" guidance of $2.80 to $3.20 per share.
  • 2The reaffirmation occurred during investor meetings held between September 20 and September 29, 2010.
  • 3The company uses "ongoing earnings" as its primary performance metric for external and internal reporting.
  • 4"Ongoing earnings" are defined as GAAP earnings adjusted for certain items.
  • 5The filing serves as a notification of the reaffirmed guidance, not as an introduction of new financial information.
  • 6The report includes a detailed disclaimer about forward-looking statements and associated risks.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main purpose of this 8-K filing is to notify investors and the market that American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) will reaffirm its previously issued guidance for full-year 2010 "ongoing earnings" of $2.80 to $3.20 per share during investor meetings scheduled between September 20 and September 29, 2010.

AEP defines "ongoing earnings" as GAAP earnings adjusted for certain items. The company considers this metric a more meaningful representation of its performance and uses it as its primary measure when communicating its earnings outlook and results to analysts and investors, as well as for internal performance tracking.

No, this filing does not introduce any new financial guidance or performance information. It serves as a communication to reaffirm the existing 2010 "ongoing earnings" guidance that was previously stated in an 8-K filed on July 30, 2010.

The filing lists numerous factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, electric load and customer growth, weather conditions, fuel costs and availability, generating capacity performance, regulatory decisions (including recovery of costs and environmental compliance), litigation, operational costs, economic climate in service territories, financial market conditions, and accounting pronouncements.