Ameren Corporation
's (
AEE
) subsidiary Ameren Illinois Company announced that it has priced
$400 million of 2.70% senior secured notes due in 2022.
Ameren Corporation plans to utilize the net proceeds of this
offering along with other surplus cash primarily to redeem its
outstanding 9.75% and 6.25% senior secured notes worth $450 million
due in 2018. In addition, the company also intends to use the
remaining part of this issue to repurchase 5.50% debt maturing in
2014 with aggregate principal amount of $51.1 million, along with
payment of related interest expenses and fees.
It is a common practice among the utility companies to issue new
debts to redeem the old ones while extending the repayment tenure.
In June 2012, Ameren's peer
Exelon Corporation
(
EXC
) sold $775 million of senior notes in two tranches and utilized
the proceeds for general corporate purposes.
Prior to this offering, Ameren offered $250 million of its 6.30%
Series I senior notes with fall due in 2020. The company employed
the proceeds to repay its outstanding short-term debt.
Recently, Ameren released its second-quarter 2012 results. As of
June 30, 2012, the company's net long-term debt remained flat at
$6.7 billion compared with the year-end 2011 figure. Interest
expenses in second-quarter 2012 rose by $8 million year over year
to $112 million mainly due to higher rate of interest. With the
issue of new debts with lower interest rate, the company's interest
expense is expected to fall in the coming quarters. The long-term
debt-to-equity ratio of Ameren at the end of second-quarter 2012
was 86.7% much lower than its peer group ratio of 146.5%.
At its second-quarter 2012 earnings call, Ameren increased its
full-year 2012 pro forma earnings guidance in the range of $2.25 -
$2.55 per share compared with the prior band of $2.20 - $2.50 per
share. As per Zacks Consensus Estimates, the company's
full-year 2012 earnings are expected to be $2.40 per share.
We believe that Ameren's regulated electric power portfolio in the
Midwest generates stable and growing earnings flow in the upcoming
quarters due to continuous cost curtailment, rate relief,
improvement in plant operations and installation of lower emission
producing equipments at its generation assets.
However, we are concerned with Ameren's over-dependence on its
coal-based generation assets, pending regulatory cases and
impairment charges for Ameren Energy Resources Generating Company's
Duck Creek Energy Center.
Ameren Corporation currently retains a Zacks #3 Rank, which
translates into a short-term Hold rating.
St. Louis, Missouri-based Ameren Corporation is a holding company,
engaged in the generation and distribution of electricity and
natural gas and serves residential, commercial, industrial and
wholesale end-markets in Missouri and Illinois.
AMEREN CORP (AEE): Free Stock Analysis Report
EXELON CORP (EXC): Free Stock Analysis Report
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