8-KRegulation FD

AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER CO INC 8-K Report, Regulation FD Disclosure (Jun 23, 2015)

Filed June 23, 2015For Securities:AEP

Summary

This Form 8-K filing by American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) on June 23, 2015, announces that the company will reaffirm its previously issued guidance for fiscal year 2015 operating earnings. Management intends to communicate to investors during meetings on June 23, 2015, that their projected operating earnings per share remain in the range of $3.40 to $3.60. AEP emphasizes its use of operating earnings, which adjusts GAAP earnings for certain items, as a primary metric for performance measurement when communicating with analysts and investors. This approach is also used internally for performance tracking and reporting to the board of directors. While reaffirming guidance, the filing also includes a comprehensive list of risk factors that could potentially impact actual results, ranging from regulatory and environmental issues to economic conditions and market volatility.

Key Highlights

  • 1AEP will reaffirm its 2015 full-year operating earnings guidance of $3.40 to $3.60 per share during investor meetings.
  • 2The company utilizes operating earnings as its key performance indicator for external communication with investors and analysts.
  • 3Operating earnings are also used internally for performance assessment and board reporting.
  • 4The filing serves as a Regulation FD disclosure, ensuring broad dissemination of the guidance reaffirmation.
  • 5A detailed list of potential risk factors that could affect future financial performance is provided, covering regulatory, environmental, economic, and market-related uncertainties.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main purpose of this 8-K filing is to formally announce that American Electric Power (AEP) will be reaffirming its previously issued guidance for fiscal year 2015 operating earnings per share, which is set between $3.40 and $3.60. This is being communicated during investor meetings held on June 23, 2015.

AEP's management believes that operating earnings, which are GAAP earnings adjusted for certain items, provide a more meaningful representation of the company's performance. This metric is used as the primary measure when communicating its earnings outlook and results to analysts and investors, as well as for internal performance tracking.

The filing lists numerous risk factors, including but not limited to: electric load and customer growth, weather conditions, fuel costs and availability, generating capacity performance, regulatory decisions on rate recovery (including for environmental compliance and new investments), litigation (such as Clean Air Act enforcement), operational cost control, asset sales, economic climate in service territories, financial market conditions, and changes in utility regulation.