• Utilities led company with strong second quarter results in spite of $0.06 COVID-19 impact
• Reiterate 2020 Utility EPS guidance range of $1.10 - $1.20 and 5 - 7% Utility EPS CAGR, inclusive of anticipated COVID-19 impacts

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today reported income available to common shareholders of $59 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2020, compared to income available to common shareholders of $165 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2019.

On a guidance basis, second quarter 2020 earnings were $0.21 per diluted share, with $0.18 per diluted share from utility operations, inclusive of $0.06 unfavorable COVID-19 impact, and $0.03 per diluted share from midstream investments. Second quarter 2019 earnings, on a guidance basis, were $0.23 per diluted share from utility operations and $0.09 per diluted share from midstream investments. See “Reconciliation of Consolidated income (loss) available to common shareholders and diluted earnings (loss) per share (GAAP) to adjusted income and adjusted diluted earnings per share (Non-GAAP)” below.

“Our second quarter results demonstrate our employees’ resilience and dedication to safely serving our customers during these unique and challenging times,” said Dave Lesar, President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy. “I would especially like to thank our operations personnel for their unwavering commitment and tireless efforts to deliver on CenterPoint Energy’s brand promise of being ‘Always There’ for our customers.

"Despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19, our utilities delivered strong second quarter results driven by customer growth, rate relief and disciplined O&M management," said Lesar. "We are reiterating CenterPoint Energy's 2020 Utility EPS guidance range of $1.10 - $1.20 and expected 5 - 7% 5-year guidance basis Utility EPS CAGR, including the anticipated full year impacts of $0.10 - $0.15 related to COVID-19."

Lesar added, "As CEO and also Chairman of the Business Review and Evaluation Committee of the Board (the "Committee"), I am driving a process dedicated to thoroughly assessing opportunities to accomplish the objective of creating sustainable value for our stakeholders. The comprehensive review by the Committee is an on-going and robust process to unlock the potential of our Company, business and investments. Formal recommendations to the Board are expected in October 2020.

"I believe that CenterPoint Energy is a strong company with great regulated assets and attractive opportunities to invest incremental capital across premier organic growth jurisdictions," said Lesar. "I am greatly energized about the future of this company and will work tirelessly to drive maximum value for all of our stakeholders."

Business Segments

Houston Electric - Transmission & Distribution

The Houston electric - transmission & distribution segment reported net income of $87 million for the second quarter of 2020, compared with $100 million for the second quarter of 2019. Net income for the second quarter of 2020 included $2 million of after-tax merger-related expenses. On a guidance basis, second quarter 2020 net income was $89 million, compared with $100 million for the second quarter of 2019. Results for the second quarter of 2020 benefited primarily from customer growth and lower operations and maintenance expense. These benefits were more than offset by lower commercial and industrial usage, primarily due to the effects of COVID-19, increased depreciation and amortization and other taxes expense, lower equity return, primarily due to the annual true-up of transition charges, and lower net revenues as a result of the most recent Houston Electric rate case.

Indiana Electric – Integrated

The Indiana electric - integrated segment reported net income of $19 million for the second quarter of 2020, compared with $16 million for the second quarter of 2019. Results for the second quarter of 2020 benefited primarily from lower operations and maintenance expense, partially offset by lower usage, primarily due to the effects of COVID-19.

Natural Gas Distribution

The natural gas distribution segment reported net income of $33 million for the second quarter of 2020, compared with $23 million for the second quarter of 2019. Net income for the second quarter of 2020 includes $2 million of after-tax merger-related expenses and severance costs. On a guidance basis, second quarter 2020 net income was $35 million, compared with $23 million for the second quarter of 2019. Results for the second quarter of 2020 benefited primarily from rate relief, lower operations and maintenance expense and customer growth. These increases were partially offset by lower usage and miscellaneous fee revenues due to the effects of COVID-19 and increased depreciation and amortization and other taxes expense.

Midstream Investments

The midstream investments segment reported net income of $24 million for the second quarter of 2020, compared with $50 million for the second quarter of 2019. For further detail, please refer to Enable's investor materials provided during its second quarter 2020 earnings call on August 5, 2020.

Corporate and Other

The corporate and other segment reported a net loss of $28 million for the second quarter of 2020, compared with a net loss of $38 million for the second quarter of 2019. The net loss for the second quarter of 2020 included $5 million of after-tax merger-related expenses and severance costs. The net loss for the second quarter of 2019 included $27 million of after-tax merger-related expenses.

Discontinued Operations - Energy Services and Infrastructure Services

Discontinued operations reported a net loss of $30 million for the second quarter of 2020, compared with net income of $44 million for the second quarter of 2019. Results related to discontinued operations are excluded from the company's guidance basis results.

Earnings Outlook

To provide greater transparency on utility earnings, 2020 guidance will be presented in two components, a guidance basis Utility EPS range and a Midstream Investments EPS expected range.

• Reiterate 2020 guidance basis Utility EPS range of $1.10 - $1.20
• 2020 - 2024 target of 5 - 7% compound annual guidance basis Utility EPS growth, using the 2020 range of $1.10 - $1.20 as the starting EPS, assuming the COVID-19 scenario range described below
• 2020 Midstream Investments EPS expected range is $0.15 - $0.18

Utility EPS Guidance Range

• Utility EPS guidance range includes net income from Houston Electric, Indiana Electric and Natural Gas Distribution segments, as well as after tax operating income from the Corporate and Other segment.
• The 2020 Utility EPS guidance range considers operations performance to date and assumptions for certain significant variables that may impact earnings, such as customer growth (approximately 2% for electric operations and 1% for natural gas distribution) and usage including normal weather, throughput, recovery of capital invested through rate cases and other rate filings, effective tax rates, financing activities and related interest rates, regulatory and judicial proceedings, anticipated cost savings as a result of the merger and reflects dilution and earnings as if the Series C preferred stock were issued as common stock. In addition, the Utility EPS guidance range incorporates a COVID-19 scenario range of $0.10 - $0.15 which assumes reduced demand levels and miscellaneous revenues with the second quarter as the peak and reflects anticipated deferral and recovery of certain incremental expenses, including bad debt. The COVID-19 scenario range also assumes a gradual re-opening of the economy in CenterPoint Energy's service territories, with anticipated reduced demand and lower miscellaneous revenues over the remainder of 2020. To the extent actual recovery deviates from these COVID-19 scenario range assumptions, the 2020 Utility EPS guidance range may not be met and our projected full-year guidance range may change. The Utility EPS guidance range also assumes an allocation of corporate overhead based upon its relative earnings contribution. Corporate overhead consists of interest expense, preferred stock dividend requirements, income on Enable preferred units and other items directly attributable to the parent along with the associated income taxes.
• Utility EPS guidance excludes:
  • Certain expenses associated with merger integration and Business Review and Evaluation Committee activities
  • Severance costs
  • Midstream Investments and allocation of associated corporate overhead
  • Results related to Infrastructure Services and Energy Services, including costs and impairment resulting from the sale of those businesses
  • Earnings or losses from the change in value of ZENS and related securities

In providing this 2020 guidance, CenterPoint Energy uses a non-GAAP measure of adjusted diluted earnings per share that does not consider the items noted above and other potential impacts such as any changes in accounting standards, impairments or other unusual items, which could have a material impact on GAAP reported results for the applicable guidance period. CenterPoint Energy is unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of forward looking adjusted diluted earnings per share because changes in the value of ZENS and related securities are not estimable as they are highly variable and difficult to predict due to various factors outside of management’s control.

Midstream Investments EPS Expected Range

The 2020 Midstream Investments EPS expected range is $0.15 - $0.18. In providing this EPS range for Midstream Investments, the company assumes a 53.7 percent ownership of Enable's common units and includes the amortization of its basis differential in Enable and assumes an allocation of CenterPoint Energy corporate overhead based upon Midstream Investments relative earnings contribution. The Midstream Investments EPS expected range reflects dilution and earnings as if CenterPoint Energy's Series C preferred stock were issued as common stock. The Midstream Investments EPS expected range takes into account such factors as Enable’s most recent public outlook for 2020 dated August 5, 2020, and effective tax rates. The company does not include other potential impacts such as any changes in accounting standards, impairments or Enable’s unusual items.

Filing of Form 10-Q for CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

Today, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. A copy of that report is available on the company’s website, under the Investors section. Investors and others should note that we may announce material information using SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls, webcasts, and the Investor Relations page of our website. In the future, we will continue to use these channels to distribute material information about the company and to communicate important information about the company, key personnel, corporate initiatives, regulatory updates and other matters. Information that we post on our website could be deemed material; therefore we encourage investors, the media, our customers, business partners and others interested in our company to review the information we post on our website.

Webcast of Earnings Conference Call

CenterPoint Energy’s management will host an earnings conference call on Thursday, August 6, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. Central time/11:00 a.m. Eastern time. Interested parties may listen to a live audio broadcast of the conference call on the company’s website under the Investors section. A replay of the call can be accessed approximately two hours after the completion of the call and will be archived on the website for at least one year.

As the only investor owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. As of June 30, 2020, the company owned approximately $32 billion in assets and also owned 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 9,600 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "intend," "may," "objective," "plan," "potential," "predict," "projection," "should," "target," "will" or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Any statements in this news release regarding capital investments, future earnings, and future financial performance and results of operations, including, but not limited to earnings guidance, impact of COVID-19, including with respect to regulatory actions and the COVID-19 scenario range discussed in this news release, the Business Review and Evaluation Committee activities and any outcome of its review process, value creation and any other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release speaks only as of the date of this release.

Risks Related to CenterPoint Energy

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the provided forward-looking information include risks and uncertainties relating to: (1) the performance of Enable Midstream Partners, LP (Enable), the amount of cash distributions CenterPoint Energy receives from Enable, Enable's ability to redeem the Enable Series A Preferred Units in certain circumstances and the value of CenterPoint Energy's interest in Enable, and factors that may have a material impact on such performance, cash distributions and value, including factors such as: (A) competitive conditions in the midstream industry, and actions taken by Enable's customers and competitors, including drilling, production and capital spending decisions of third parties and the extent and timing of the entry of additional competition in the markets served by Enable; (B) the timing and extent of changes in the supply of natural gas and associated commodity prices, particularly prices of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs), the competitive effects of the available pipeline capacity in the regions served by Enable, and the effects of geographic and seasonal commodity price differentials, including the effects of these circumstances on re-contracting available capacity on Enable's interstate pipelines and its commodity risk management activities; (C) economic effects of the recent actions of Saudi Arabia, Russia and other oil-producing countries, which have resulted in a substantial decrease in oil and natural gas prices and the combined impact of these events and COVID-19 on commodity prices; (D) the demand for crude oil, natural gas, NGLs and transportation and storage services; (E) environmental and other governmental regulations, including the availability of drilling permits and the regulation of hydraulic fracturing; (F) recording of goodwill, long-lived asset or other than temporary impairment charges by or related to Enable; (G) the timing of payments from Enable's customers under existing contracts, including minimum volume commitment payments; (H) changes in tax status; and (I) access to debt and equity capital; (2) CenterPoint Energy's expected benefits of the merger with Vectren Corporation (Vectren) and integration, including the outcome of shareholder litigation filed against Vectren that could reduce anticipated benefits of the merger, as well as the ability to successfully integrate the Vectren businesses and to realize anticipated benefits and commercial opportunities; (3) the recording of impairment charges; (4) industrial, commercial and residential growth in CenterPoint Energy's service territories and changes in market demand, including the demand for CenterPoint Energy's non-utility products and services and effects of energy efficiency measures and demographic patterns; (5) timely and appropriate rate actions that allow recovery of costs and a reasonable return on investment; (6) future economic conditions in regional and national markets and their effect on sales, prices and costs; (7) weather variations and other natural phenomena, including the impact of severe weather events on operations and capital; (8) the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on CenterPoint Energy’s and Enable’s operations, business and financial condition, the industries and communities they serve, U.S. and world financial markets and supply chains, potential regulatory actions and changes in customer and stakeholder behaviors relating thereto; (9) volatility and a substantial recent decline in the markets for oil and natural gas as a result of the actions of crude-oil exporting nations and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and reduced worldwide consumption due to the COVID-19 pandemic; (10) state and federal legislative and regulatory actions or developments affecting various aspects of CenterPoint Energy's and Enable's businesses, including, among others, energy deregulation or re-regulation, pipeline integrity and safety and changes in regulation and legislation pertaining to trade, health care, finance and actions regarding the rates charged by our regulated businesses; (11) tax legislation, including the effects of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the comprehensive tax reform legislation informally referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (which includes but is not limited to any potential changes to tax rates, tax credits and/or interest deductibility) and uncertainties involving state commissions' and local municipalities' regulatory requirements and determinations regarding the treatment of excess deferred income taxes and CenterPoint Energy's rates; (12) CenterPoint Energy's ability to mitigate weather impacts through normalization or rate mechanisms, and the effectiveness of such mechanisms; (13) actions by credit rating agencies, including any potential downgrades to credit ratings; (14) problems with regulatory approval, legislative actions, construction, implementation of necessary technology or other issues with respect to major capital projects that result in delays or cancellation or in cost overruns that cannot be recouped in rates; (15) the availability and prices of raw materials and services and changes in labor for current and future construction projects and operations and maintenance costs, including CenterPoint Energy's ability to control such costs; (16) local, state and federal legislative and regulatory actions or developments relating to the environment, including, among others, those related to global climate change, air emissions, carbon, waste water discharges and the handling and disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) that could impact the continued operation, and/or cost recovery of generation plant costs and related assets; (17) the impact of unplanned facility outages or other closures; (18) any direct or indirect effects on CenterPoint Energy's or Enable's facilities, operations and financial condition resulting from terrorism, cyber-attacks, data security breaches or other attempts to disrupt CenterPoint Energy's businesses or the businesses of third parties, or other catastrophic events such as fires, ice, earthquakes, explosions, leaks, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, pandemic health events or other occurrences; (19) CenterPoint Energy's ability to invest planned capital and the timely recovery of CenterPoint Energy's investments, including those related to Indiana Electric's Integrated Resource Plan; (20) CenterPoint Energy's ability to successfully construct and operate electric generating facilities, including complying with applicable environmental standards and the implementation of a well-balanced energy and resource mix, as appropriate; (21) the sufficiency of CenterPoint Energy's insurance coverage, including availability, cost, coverage and terms and ability to recover claims; (22) the investment performance of CenterPoint Energy's pension and postretirement benefit plans; (23) changes in interest rates and their impact on CenterPoint Energy's costs of borrowing and the valuation of its pension benefit obligation; (24) commercial bank and financial market conditions, CenterPoint Energy's access to capital, the cost of such capital, and the results of CenterPoint Energy's financing and refinancing efforts, including availability of funds in the debt capital markets; (25) changes in rates of inflation; (26) inability of various counterparties to meet their obligations to CenterPoint Energy; (27) non-payment for CenterPoint Energy's services due to financial distress of its customers; (28) the extent and effectiveness of CenterPoint Energy's and Enable's risk management and hedging activities, including but not limited to, financial and weather hedges; (29) timely and appropriate regulatory actions, which include actions allowing securitization, for any future hurricanes or natural disasters or other recovery of costs; (30) the ability of retail electric providers (REPs), including REP affiliates of NRG Energy, Inc.

Media:
Alicia Dixon
Phone: 713.825.9107

Investors:
David Mordy
Phone: 713.207.6500

• $78.8 million in cash and cash equivalents
• $251.4 million in sales
• GAAP diluted EPS of $0.12
• Cash flow from operating activities of $63.4 million
• Free cash flow for the quarter of $61.6 million

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DXP Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: DXPE) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020. The following are results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2019. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures can be found in the back of this press release.

Second Quarter 2020 financial highlights:

• Sales were $251.4 million, compared to $333.3 million for the second quarter of 2019.
• Earnings per diluted share for the second quarter was $0.12 based upon 18.6 million diluted shares, compared to $0.73 per share in the second quarter of June 30, 2019, based on 18.4 million diluted shares.
• Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the second quarter was $12.6 million compared to $28.7 million for the second quarter of 2019.
• Free cash flow (cash flow from operating activities less capital expenditures) for the second quarter was $61.6 million, or 489.5% of EBITDA.

David R. Little, Chairman and CEO, commented, "Before turning to our results, I would like to acknowledge our employees' resilience in the face of this historic COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent decline in activity levels in our oil and gas markets. As we have battled the pandemic for the last four months, our DXPeople have shown outstanding adaptability to the new working environment. They have embraced new work practices to mitigate contamination risks, while delivering outstanding product and service quality for our customers. As the pandemic lingers, we will continue to balance both safety and business priorities and strive to capture more market share. I was pleased with our team's execution on maintaining gross margins, cost discipline and our strong free cash flow generation."

Mr. Little continued, "During the second quarter, we achieved $251.4 million in sales, including $4.5 million from acquisitions. In terms of our business segments for the second quarter, sales were $153.8 million for Service Centers, $60.5 million for Innovative Pumping Solutions and $37.1 million for Supply Chain Services. Although the majority of lockdowns have been easing and economic activity is likely near trough levels, visibility on the economic outlook remains extremely limited. Specifically, the risk of a second wave of virus cases, the reinstitution of select geographic lockdowns, the upcoming election and the risk of lingering high unemployment create an uncertain economic environment that likely persists through the rest of 2020 based upon what we know today. Our results demonstrate a significant and sustainable reset to the power of our business to generate positive earnings and free cash flow and capture market share for our future."

Kent Yee, CFO, commented, “DXP's second quarter performance in a tough and unique market shows we can execute quickly and aggressively to deliver financial results and free cash flow despite a severe drop in activity. DXP generated $61.6 million in free cash flow for the quarter. Additionally, DXP paid down debt by $15.6 million. Our second quarter EBITDA for debt covenant purposes was $15.6 million. As of June 30, 2020, we had $78.8 million in cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheet. Our senior leverage was 2.4:1, well under the Q2 covenant limit of 4.5:1."

Financial Strength and Liquidity

Net debt, calculated as long-term debt, net of cash and cash equivalents, on our balance sheet as of June 30, 2020, was down to $149.4 million compared to $221.6 million at June 30, 2019. As of June 30, 2020, DXP has approximately $209.7 million in liquidity, consisting of $78.7 million in cash on hand and approximately $131.0 million in availability under our ABL facility.

We will host a conference call regarding June 30, 2020 second quarter results on the Company’s website (www.dxpe.com) Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 10 am CDT. Web participants are encouraged to go to the Company’s website at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. The online archived replay will be available immediately after the conference call at www.dxpe.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

DXP supplements reporting of net income with non-GAAP measurements, including EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and net debt. This supplemental information should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the unaudited GAAP measurements. Additional information regarding EBITDA and free cash flow referred to in this press release are included below under "Unaudited Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Information."

The Company believes EBITDA provides additional information about: (i) operating performance, because it assists in comparing the operating performance of the business, as it removes the impact of non-cash depreciation and amortization expense as well as items not directly resulting from core operations such as interest expense and income taxes and (ii) the performance and the effectiveness of operational strategies. Additionally, EBITDA performance is a component of a measure of the Company’s financial covenants under its credit facility. Furthermore, some investors use EBITDA as a supplemental measure to evaluate the overall operating performance of companies in the industry. Management believes that some investors’ understanding of performance is enhanced by including this non-GAAP financial measure as a reasonable basis for comparing ongoing results of operations. By providing this non-GAAP financial measure, together with a reconciliation from net income, the Company believes it is enhancing investors’ understanding of the business and results of operations, as well as assisting investors in evaluating how well the Company is executing strategic initiatives.

About DXP Enterprises, Inc.

DXP Enterprises, Inc. is a leading products and service distributor that adds value and total cost savings solutions to industrial customers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Dubai. DXP provides innovative pumping solutions, supply chain services and maintenance, repair, operating and production ("MROP") services that emphasize and utilize DXP’s vast product knowledge and technical expertise in rotating equipment, bearings, power transmission, metal working, industrial supplies and safety products and services. DXP's breadth of MROP products and service solutions allows DXP to be flexible and customer-driven, creating competitive advantages for our customers. DXP’s business segments include Service Centers, Innovative Pumping Solutions and Supply Chain Services. For more information, go to www.dxpe.com.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe-harbor” for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made by or to be made by the Company) contains statements that are forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include without limitation those about the Company’s expectations regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of low commodity prices of oil and gas; the Company’s business, the Company’s future profitability, cash flow, liquidity, and growth. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future; and accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statement made by or on behalf of the Company. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to; decreases in oil and natural gas prices; decreases in oil and natural gas industry expenditure levels, which may result from decreased oil and natural gas prices or other factors; ability to obtain needed capital, dependence on existing management, leverage and debt service, domestic or global economic conditions, economic risks related to the impact of COVID-19, ability to manage changes and the continued health or availability of management personnel and changes in customer preferences and attitudes. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as, but not limited to, “may,” “will,” “should,” “intend,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “goal,” or “continue” or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. For more information, review the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect the Company’s business and financial results is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Business segment financial highlights:

• Service Centers’ revenue for the second quarter was $153.8 million, a decrease of 23.1 percent year-over-year with a 8.9 percent operating income margin.
• Innovative Pumping Solutions’ revenue for the second quarter was $60.5 million, a decrease of 25.4 percent year-over-year with a 14.2 percent operating income margin.
• Supply Chain Services’ revenue for the second quarter was $37.1 million, a decrease of 29.1 percent year-over-year with a 9.0 percent operating income margin.

Kent Yee, 713-996-4700
Senior Vice President, CFO
www.dxpe.com

Multiple Deals Totaling 432 MW Represent Apex’s Largest Corporate Offtake Partnership to Date

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#cleanenergy--Apex Clean Energy today announced that Lincoln Land Wind has executed a power purchase agreement with Facebook for approximately 170 MW of renewable power from the Illinois project. With this latest in a series of transactions, Facebook is now Apex’s largest corporate customer by megawatt.

Lincoln Land Wind will help Facebook meet its goal of supporting its operations in the region with 100% renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75%.

“The clean energy industry has long recognized Facebook as a leader,” said Mark Goodwin, Apex Clean Energy president and CEO. “In its early commitment to utilizing 100% renewable energy, and now its continuing work to fulfill that pledge, Facebook has led from the front of the pack. Apex has a strong track record in enabling corporate clean energy procurement, and we’re excited that the Lincoln Land Wind PPA results in Facebook becoming our largest partner to date.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Apex once again to bring an additional 170 MW of new renewable energy to the grid,” said Urvi Parekh, Head of Renewable Energy at Facebook. “At Facebook, we are committed to not only supporting our operations with 100% renewable energy, but to helping accelerate the transition to renewable energy. With our recent announcement of our new data center in DeKalb, we are excited to bring renewable energy to Illinois.”

The deal marks Apex’s third renewable transaction with Facebook in the past year. In 2019, Facebook signed a 61.6 MW PPA with Altavista Solar, Apex’s largest solar project to date, and a 200 MW PPA with Aviator Wind East, which will be part of the largest single-phase, single-site wind project in the United States when it begins commercial operations in the coming months. The PPA with Lincoln Land Wind will help support the tech company’s operations in the region.

The remaining 130 MW from Lincoln Land Wind will be sold to another corporate offtaker to be announced at a later date.

The project, located in Morgan County, Illinois, will generate approximately $65 million in local tax revenue, $90 million in payments to landowners, nearly 400 full-time local jobs during construction, and nine long-term local operations positions. Lincoln Land Wind is expected to begin operations in 2021.

About Apex Clean Energy

Apex Clean Energy develops, constructs, and operates utility-scale wind and solar power facilities across North America. Our mission-driven team of more than 200 renewable energy experts uses a data-focused approach and an unrivaled portfolio of projects to create solutions for the world’s most innovative and forward-thinking customers. For more information on how Apex is leading the transition to a clean energy future, visit www.apexcleanenergy.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Apex Clean Energy
Cat Strumlauf
(434) 227-4196
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Facebook
Melanie Roe
(650) 798-7966
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− Q CELLS has signed an agreement to purchase a 100% stake in Geli, a leading energy storage solutions and software provider

− Combined capabilities provide smart energy solutions to customers

− Acquisition marks Q CELLS’ expansion into the U.S. solar + storage market beyond existing solutions in Europe and Australia

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Q CELLS, a renowned total energy solutions provider in solar cell and module, energy storage, downstream project business and energy retail, announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire a 100% stake in San Francisco-based energy storage solutions company Growing Energy Labs, Inc. (Geli). The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Geli’s end-to-end software platform streamlines the energy storage development process, offering the industry’s leading solution for design, automation, and management of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Geli’s products, powered by artificial intelligence, determine the optimal size of the BESS, and maximize the stacked revenue potential for customer deployments. Geli is a pioneer in advancing BESS deployments coupled with solar and EV charging infrastructure and co-optimizing these unique assets with any electricity tariff or load profile. Geli’s products leverage an advanced cloud architecture and Industrial IoT technologies that support scalability and extensibility across multiple geographies, market segments, and hardware solutions.

Q CELLS has already launched various integrated energy solutions globally, including in Europe and Australia. Q CELLS’ acquisition of Geli is its first of an energy storage solutions company and marks its entrance into the U.S. C&I distributed energy market. Leveraging Geli’s proprietary artificial intelligence technology for designing, automating, and managing energy storage systems, Q CELLS will be able to provide integrated energy solutions through packaged hardware and software capabilities (solar+storage).

“There is increasing demand in the energy storage space for comprehensive energy solutions. We are excited to welcome the Geli team and work together to strengthen our competitiveness in the global distributed energy market. Q CELLS and Geli’s combined capabilities will allow us to provide smart energy solutions to our customers and together we can unfold the next chapter towards a cleaner tomorrow.” Hee Cheul (Charles) Kim, CEO of Q CELLS said.

“We are excited to join forces with Q CELLS,” Dan Loflin, CEO of Geli said. “Q CELLS shares our vision of the transformative power of renewables and the Internet of Energy to make the planet a cleaner, better place to live. Combining with Q CELLS will accelerate Geli’s product roadmap and strategy, bringing greater value to all of our customers and partners in all of our markets.”

About Q CELLS

Q CELLS is a renowned total energy solutions provider in solar cell and module, energy storage, downstream project business and energy retail. It is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea (Global Executive HQ) and Thalheim, Germany (Technology & Innovation HQ) with operations all over the world. Through its growing global business network spanning Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Africa and the Middle East, Q CELLS provides excellent services and long-term partnerships to its customers in the utility, commercial, governmental and residential markets. For more information, visit: http://www.q-cells.com.

About Geli

Geli, which stands for Growing Energy Labs, Inc., provides software and business solutions for designing, automating, and managing energy storage systems. Geli’s suite of products creates an ecosystem where project developers, OEMs, financiers, and project operators can deploy advanced energy projects using a seamless hardware-agnostic software platform. Geli’s solutions are powered by sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms and years of industry experience.

Founded in 2010 by Ryan Wartena and Crispell Wagner, Geli’s software actively manages megawatts of projects deployed around the world. Geli is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and has an office in Melbourne, Australia.

Safe-Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and Q CELLS’ operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Q CELLS does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Q CELLS America, Media
Katie Kim
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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE: EAF) (GrafTech or the Company) today announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, including net income of $93 million, or $0.35 per share, and Adjusted EBITDA¹ of $151 million.

"GrafTech reported strong cash flow from operating activities totaling $148 million despite historic headwinds created by COVID-19. This cash flow allowed us to execute on our goals of reducing our debt and maintaining balance sheet liquidity, " said David Rintoul, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our disciplined operational approach enabled us to align production with the current sales environment and resulted in reduced costs."

Second Quarter Results and Key Financial Measures

⁽¹⁾ A non-GAAP financial measure, see below for more information and a reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to Net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.
⁽²⁾ Earnings per share represents diluted earnings per share.

Net sales for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 were $281 million, compared to $480 million in the second quarter of 2019. Lower net sales were driven primarily by reduced sales volumes, reflecting low demand from decreased steel production levels with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.

Net income for the second quarter of 2020 was $93 million, or $0.35 per share, compared to $196 million, or $0.68 per share in the second quarter of 2019. Adjusted EBITDA was $151 million in the second quarter of 2020 compared to $284 million in the second quarter of 2019.

Cash flow from operating activities was $148 million in the second quarter of 2020, compared to $202 million in the comparable period of 2019. We ended the second quarter of 2020 with a strong liquidity position of approximately $435 million, consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $188 million and availability of $247 million under our revolving credit facility.

Key operating metrics

Sales volume was 31 thousand metric tons ("MT") in the second quarter of 2020 and consisted of 26 thousand MT shipped under our long-term agreements and 5 thousand MT of spot sales. Production volume was 33 thousand MT in the second quarter of 2020 compared to 48 thousand MT in the same period of 2019.

COVID-19

GrafTech is proactively managing through the COVID-19 crisis. We have quickly adapted to changing situations throughout all the regions of the world in which we operate and conduct business. Our executive-led COVID-19 response team continues to meet three times per week to monitor the situation and adapt as needed. We continue to limit travel and have employees working from home where possible. Our facilities perform temperature measurement upon entry and our team members continue to use personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves. Daily disinfecting activities are performed and strict adherence to social distancing guidelines is required. All these activities are guided by our "COVID-Safe-Work Playbook" and "Return to Work Protocols" and are closely monitored with daily "check sheets". The result of this hard work is that we have managed to keep 99% of our employees healthy to date.

Commercial Update

GrafTech services customers at over 300 locations across the globe all of which have been impacted by COVID-19. The recovery for some customers has begun, however, each region is impacted and recovering at significantly different rates.

The commercial team worked diligently to achieve solid results in the second quarter. We delivered a total of 31,000 MT in the second quarter, of which 26,000 MT represented deliveries under our long-term agreements ("LTAs") and 5,000 MT were the result of spot sales. Our total deliveries under our LTAs were 55,000 MT for the first half of 2020 and we continue to expect deliveries under the LTAs of 100,000-115,000 MT for the full year.

As anticipated, the spot price of graphite electrodes continued to trend lower during the second quarter. Our average price for non-LTA business in Q2 was approximately $5,500 per MT and we expect further market spot price erosion in the third quarter. The needle coke market continued to soften as well.

The current market continues to challenge our customers including those with LTAs. Over the course of the COVID-19 crisis, we have received force majeure claims from approximately 35 customers. Several customers are struggling to take their committed volumes causing some delays and non-performance including a few arbitrations associated with, among other things, efforts to modify the existing contracts.

We are working hard with our valued customers to develop mutually beneficial solutions to address the current challenging environment, but we will take every measure to ensure that customers fulfill their legal obligations and commitments under these contracts. These negotiations are ongoing and have successfully resulted in modifications with some of our strategic customers to provide near-term relief while extending the term of their contracts.

Operational Update

We have been successful at keeping our plants operational through the COVID-19 crisis. We have aligned our operations to our expected sales and have maintained a 98% on-time delivery rate through these difficult times. Our Seadrift plant recently completed its scheduled maintenance outage on time and on budget.

We have eliminated discretionary spending throughout the organization and adjusted our workforce to match current production levels. We met our goal of reducing fixed production costs by 15% in the second quarter which assisted in achieving a 12% reduction year-to-date when compared to 2019 levels. We continue to manage our capital expenditures in line with our reduced target and expect approximately $35 million for the full year.

Capital Structure and Capital Allocation

During the second quarter we reduced our debt by $103 million. We will continue to prioritize balance sheet flexibility and expect to use the majority of our incremental free cash flow in 2020 to reduce debt, but will continue to examine opportunities to repurchase stock.

Outlook

The second half of 2020 will continue to be challenging as we and our customers face macro-economic headwinds. We foresee a measured recovery in the industry when the pandemic eases as customers work through inventory levels that were elevated prior to the onset of the pandemic. We expect overall demand and pricing to remain low for the remainder of 2020.

We have full confidence in the strengths of the Electric Arc Furnace and graphite electrode businesses. The environmental and economic attributes of these industries are key advantages and position them for continued growth over the longer term.

We believe GrafTech is well positioned to navigate the challenges of the current environment and the opportunities in the future recovery given our leadership position in the industry, our strong cash flows, and our advantaged cost position.

Conference Call

In conjunction with this earnings release, you are invited to listen to our earnings call being held on August 6, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The webcast and accompanying slide presentation will be available at www.GrafTech.com, in the Investors section. The earnings call dial-in number is +1 (844) 437-4785 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada or +1 (607) 598-0105 for overseas calls. A replay of the Conference Call will be available until November 6, 2020 by dialing +1 (866) 215-1112 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada or +1 (725) 223-0887 for overseas calls, conference ID: 57343. A replay of the webcast will also be available on our website until November 6, 2020, at www.GrafTech.com, in the Investors section. GrafTech also makes its complete financial reports that have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and other information available at www.GrafTech.com. The information in our website is not part of this release or any report we file or furnish to the SEC.

About GrafTech

GrafTech International Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of high-quality graphite electrode products essential to the production of electric arc furnace steel and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The Company has a competitive portfolio of low-cost graphite electrode manufacturing facilities, including three of the highest capacity facilities in the world. GrafTech is also the only large-scale graphite electrode producer that is substantially vertically integrated into petroleum needle coke, a key raw material for graphite electrode manufacturing. This unique position provides competitive advantages in product quality and cost.

Special note regarding forward-looking statements

This news release and related discussions may contain forward-looking statements that reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and financial performance. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words such as “will,” “may,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “foresee”, “intend,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “target,” “goal,” “continue to,” “positioned to,” "are confident", or the negative version of those words or other comparable words. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon our historical performance and on our current plans, estimates and expectations considering information currently available to us. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by us that the future plans, estimates, or expectations contemplated by us will be achieved. Our expectations and targets are not predictions of actual performance and historically our performance has deviated, often significantly, from our expectations and targets. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, financial results, financial condition, business, prospects, growth strategy and liquidity. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. We believe that these factors include, but are not limited to: the ultimate impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows; the cyclical nature of our business and the selling prices of our products may lead to periods of reduced profitability and net losses in the future; the possibility that we may be unable to implement our business strategies, including our ability to secure and maintain longer-term customer contracts, in an effective manner; the risks and uncertainties associated with litigation, arbitration, and like disputes, including disputes related to contractual commitments; the possibility that global graphite electrode overcapacity may adversely affect graphite electrode prices; pricing for graphite electrodes has historically been cyclical and the price of graphite electrodes may continue to decline in the future; the sensitivity of our business and operating results to economic conditions and the possibility others may not be able to fulfill their obligations to us in a timely fashion or at all; our dependence on the global steel industry generally and the electric arc furnace steel industry in particular; the competitiveness of the graphite electrode industry; our dependence on the supply of petroleum needle coke; our dependence on supplies of raw materials (in addition to petroleum needle coke) and energy; the possibility that our manufacturing operations are subject to hazards; changes in, or more stringent enforcement of, health, safety and environmental regulations applicable to our manufacturing operations and facilities; the legal, compliance, economic, social and political risks associated with our substantial operations in multiple countries; the possibility that fluctuation of foreign currency exchange rates could materially harm our financial results; the possibility that our results of operations could deteriorate if our manufacturing operations were substantially disrupted for an extended period, including as a result of equipment failure, climate change, regulatory issues, natural disasters, public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, political crises or other catastrophic events; our dependence on third parties for certain construction, maintenance, engineering, transportation, warehousing and logistics services; the possibility that we are unable to recruit or retain key management and plant operating personnel or successfully negotiate with the representatives of our employees, including labor unions; the possibility that we may divest or acquire businesses, which could require significant management attention or disrupt our business; the sensitivity of goodwill on our balance sheet to changes in the market; the possibility that we are subject to information technology systems failures, cybersecurity attacks, network disruptions and breaches of data security; our dependence on protecting our intellectual property; the possibility that third parties may claim that our products or processes infringe their intellectual property rights; the possibility that significant changes in our jurisdictional earnings mix or in the tax laws of those jurisdictions could adversely affect our business; the possibility that our indebtedness could limit our financial and operating activities or that our cash flows may not be sufficient to service our indebtedness; the possibility that restrictive covenants in our financing agreements could restrict or limit our operations; the fact that borrowings under certain of our existing financing agreements subjects us to interest rate risk; the possibility of a lowering or withdrawal of the ratings assigned to our debt; the possibility that disruptions in the capital and credit markets could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, or those of our customers and suppliers; the possibility that highly concentrated ownership of our common stock may prevent minority stockholders from influencing significant corporate decisions; the possibility that we may not pay cash dividends on our common stock in the future; the fact that certain of our stockholders have the right to engage or invest in the same or similar businesses as us; the possibility that the market price of our common stock could be negatively affected by sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public markets, including by Brookfield Asset Management Inc. and its affiliates; the fact that certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated By-Laws could hinder, delay or prevent a change of control; the fact that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders; and our status as a "controlled company" within the meaning of the New York Stock Exchange corporate governance standards, which allows us to qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.

These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements, including the Risk Factors section included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period March 31, 2020, and other filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, except as required by law, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Non-GAAP financial measures

In addition to providing results that are determined in accordance with GAAP, we have provided certain financial measures that are not in accordance with GAAP. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. We define EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, as net income or loss plus interest expense, minus interest income, plus income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. We define adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA plus any pension and other post-employment benefit ("OPEB") plan expenses, initial and follow-on public offering and related expenses, non-cash gains or losses from foreign currency remeasurement of non-operating assets and liabilities in our foreign subsidiaries where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar, related party Tax Receivable Agreement expense, stock-based compensation, and non-cash fixed asset write-offs. Adjusted EBITDA is the primary metric used by our management and our board of directors to establish budgets and operational goals for managing our business and evaluating our performance.

We monitor adjusted EBITDA as a supplement to our GAAP measures, and believe it is useful to present to investors, because we believe that it facilitates evaluation of our period-to-period operating performance by eliminating items that are not operational in nature, allowing comparison of our recurring core business operating results over multiple periods unaffected by differences in capital structure, capital investment cycles and fixed asset base. In addition, we believe adjusted EBITDA and similar measures are widely used by investors, securities analysts, ratings agencies, and other parties in evaluating companies in our industry as a measure of financial performance and debt-service capabilities. We also monitor the ratio of total debt to adjusted EBITDA, because we believe it is a useful and widely used way to assess our leverage.

Our use of adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures for capital equipment or other contractual commitments, including any capital expenditure requirements to augment or replace our capital assets;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our indebtedness;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect tax payments that may represent a reduction in cash available to us;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect expenses relating to our pension and OPEB plans;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the non-cash gains or losses from foreign currency remeasurement of non-operating assets and liabilities in our foreign subsidiaries where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect initial and follow-on public offering and related expenses;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect related party Tax Receivable Agreement expense;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect stock-based compensation or the non-cash write-off of fixed assets; and
• other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA differently, which reduces its usefulness as a comparative measure.

In evaluating EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future, we will incur expenses similar to the adjustments in the reconciliation presented below. Our presentations of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as suggesting that our future results will be unaffected by these expenses or any unusual or non-recurring items. When evaluating our performance, you should consider EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA alongside other financial performance measures, including our net income (loss) and other GAAP measures.

Wendy Watson
216-676-2000

Transaction is the third acquisition by Presidio since 2018 and represents an expansion from the western Anadarko Basin into the STACK play of central Oklahoma

FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Presidio Investment Holdings LLC (“Presidio Petroleum”, “Presidio”, or the “Company”) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the oil and natural gas producing properties of Templar Energy LLC and certain affiliates in the Anadarko Basin (“Templar”). Presidio Petroleum is a leading oil and gas efficiency company founded to acquire, operate, and optimize producing oil and natural gas properties in the Anadarko Basin and other established U.S. onshore basins. The Company leverages engineering efficiency and the embedding of technology to improve decision-making, achieve best-in-class operations, and enhance free cash flow in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

Chris Hammack, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Presidio Petroleum, said, “We are pleased to expand our Anadarko Basin operations with the addition of Templar’s high quality assets spanning the western Anadarko Basin of Texas and Oklahoma to the STACK play of central Oklahoma. This acquisition is a logical extension of the asset optimization strategy we established upon founding Presidio, and we are excited to apply the knowledge gained from our previous two acquisitions in the Basin and decades of operational experience to unlock value responsibly from the Templar assets. We believe our extensive asset base, further enhanced by this acquisition, makes Presidio the logical consolidator of the Anadarko Basin.”

Will Ulrich, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Presidio Petroleum, added, “Presidio was founded with a differentiated strategy of pursuing attractive risk-adjusted returns through operational excellence and capital-efficient growth via acquisition, not drilling activity. We are excited to have completed this transaction consistent with that strategy and welcome our new employees from Templar to the Presidio team. At Presidio, we view ourselves as the leading custodians of mature, long-lived oil and gas properties in the U.S., and we are confident in our ability to serve as responsible stewards while also achieving our financial and operational objectives.”

Robert Lee, Managing Director of Morgan Stanley Energy Partners (“MSEP”), said, “We are delighted to make this second follow-on investment in support of further strategic consolidation in the Anadarko Basin. We believe Presidio’s prudent operational and risk management philosophy dating back to its inception has put the Company on solid footing to continue to execute on acquisitions in a highly dislocated energy market. We look forward to supporting the Presidio team as they implement their best-in-class operating practices on these assets.”

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Presidio Petroleum is a portfolio company majority-owned by investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Energy Partners, the energy private equity business of Morgan Stanley Investment Management. This transaction represents the second add-on acquisition for the Company since MSEP’s initial investment in May 2018.

About Presidio Petroleum

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Presidio Petroleum is a leading oil and gas efficiency company with assets located in the Anadarko Basin of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. For further information about Presidio Petroleum, please visit www.presidiopetroleum.com.

About Morgan Stanley Energy Partners

Morgan Stanley Energy Partners is the energy-focused private equity business of Morgan Stanley Investment Management that makes privately negotiated equity and equity-related investments in energy companies located primarily in North America. Morgan Stanley Energy Partners pursues a differentiated investment strategy, focused on the buyout and build-up of strategically attractive, established energy businesses across the energy value chain in partnership with world-class management teams. Morgan Stanley Investment Management together with its investment advisory affiliates has more than 700 investment professionals around the world and $665 billion in assets under management or supervision as of June 30, 2020. For further information about Morgan Stanley Energy Partners, please visit www.morganstanley.com/im/energypartners.

Morgan Stanley Media Relations: Lauren Bellmare, 212.761.5303

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--$NRG #Earnings--NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) today reported second quarter 2020 income from continuing operations of $313 million, or $1.27 per diluted common share and Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of $574 million.

“NRG delivered strong results in the first half of 2020, and our platform continues to demonstrate resilience during these critical summer months,” said Mauricio Gutierrez, NRG President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are excited by the recently announced Direct Energy acquisition and the regional diversity and expanded products and services the combination will bring to our integrated platform.”

Second quarter Income from Continuing Operations was $313 million, $124 million higher than second quarter 2019, driven by mark-to-market on hedge positions in 2020 versus 2019 from large movements in gas prices and ERCOT heat rates.

Texas: Second quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $378 million, $52 million higher than second quarter of 2019. This increase is driven by the acquisition of Stream Energy and lower supply costs resulting from reductions in power and fuel prices.

East: Second quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $138 million, $45 million higher than second quarter of 2019. This increase is driven by the acquisition of Stream Energy, lower supply costs due to reductions in power and natural gas prices and lower operating costs; partially offset by lower capacity revenues.

West/Other: Second quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $58 million, $8 million higher than second quarter of 2019, driven by higher margin from Sunrise facility due to improved availability and an increase in California resource adequacy pricing in 2020; partially offset by Canal 3 completion payment earned in 2019.

As of June 30, 2020, NRG cash was at $0.4 billion, and $1.8 billion was available under the Company’s credit facilities. Total liquidity was $2.2 billion, including restricted cash. Overall liquidity as of the end of the second quarter 2020 was $61 million higher than at the end of 2019, driven by free cash flow generated by the Company partially offset by share repurchases and the repayment of balances outstanding on NRG's revolver.

NRG Strategic Developments

Acquisition of Direct Energy

On July 24, 2020, the Company entered into a definitive purchase agreement with Centrica plc to acquire Direct Energy, a North American subsidiary of Centrica plc. Direct Energy is a leading retail provider of electricity, natural gas, and home and business energy related products and services in North America, with operations in all 50 U.S. states and 6 Canadian provinces. The acquisition will add over 3 million customers to NRG’s business and build on and complement its integrated model, enabling better matching of power generation with customer demand. It will also broaden the Company’s presence in the Northeast and into states and locales where it does not currently operate, supporting NRG’s objective to diversify its business.

The Company will pay an aggregate purchase price of $3.625 billion in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The Company expects to fund the purchase price using a combination of cash on hand, approximately $2.4 billion in newly-issued secured and unsecured corporate debt and approximately $750 million in convertible preferred stock or other equity-linked instrument. The Company also expects to increase its collateral facilities by $3.5 billion through a combination of new letter of credit facilities and an increase to its existing Revolving Credit Facility.

The acquisition is subject to approval by the shareholders of Centrica plc, as well as customary closing conditions, consents and regulatory approvals, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and the receipt of approvals or expiration of applicable waiting periods under the Federal Power Act and the Canadian Competition Act.

Midwest Generation lease buyout

On July 22, 2020, Midwest Generation, LLC signed purchase agreements to acquire all of the ownership interests in the Powerton facility and Units 7 and 8 of the Joliet facility, which were being leased through 2034 and 2030, respectively, for approximately $260 million. The Company intends to fund the purchase with borrowings under its Revolving Credit Facility in an amount equal to the existing operating lease liability of $148 million as of June 30, 2020, and the remainder from cash-on-hand. The closing is conditioned, among other items, on the receipt of regulatory approvals from FERC and under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

COVID-19

In March 2020, the World Health Organization categorized COVID-19 as a pandemic and the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. Electricity was deemed a 'critical and essential business operation' under various state and federal governmental COVID-19 mandates. As a result of COVID-19, there has been a reduction in load within the markets in which we operate since the President’s national emergency declaration; however, as state restrictions have been eased or lifted, loads have begun to recover. The rebound in demand has varied across the Company's market footprint, as restrictions vary regionally. The Company expects demand uncertainty to continue in the near future.

NRG had activated its Crisis Management Team ("CMT") in January 2020, which proactively began managing the Company's response to the impacts of COVID-19. The CMT implemented the business continuity plans for the Company and has taken a variety of measures to ensure the ongoing availability of the Company’s services, while maintaining the Company's commitment to its core values of health and safety. Pursuant to the Company’s Infectious Disease & Pandemic Policy, in March 2020, NRG implemented restrictions on business travel and face-to-face sales channels, instituted remote work practices and enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols in all of its facilities. During the second quarter of 2020, the Company began to evaluate alternatives for return to normal work operations. In addition, in order to effectively serve the Company’s customers, select essential employees and contractors are continuing to report to plant and certain office locations. The Company requires pre-entry screening, including temperature checks, separation of work crews, additional personal protective equipment for employees and contractors when social distancing cannot be maintained, and a ban on all non-essential visitors. As a result of these business continuity measures, the Company has not experienced any material disruptions in its ability to continue its business operations to date.

NRG continues to remain focused on protecting the health and well-being of its employees, while supporting its customers and the communities in which it operates and assuring the continuity of its operations. On April 1, 2020, NRG committed $2 million to COVID-19 relief efforts, including funding for urgently needed safety equipment supporting first responders, as well as funds that aid local communities and teachers. The Company also allocated funding to the NRG Employee Relief Fund, which assists employees adversely impacted by natural disasters and other extraordinary

Reaffirming 2020 and 2021 Guidance

NRG is reaffirming its guidance range for 2020 and 2021 with respect to Adjusted EBITDA, Cash From Operations and Free Cash Flow before Growth Investments (FCFbG) as set forth below.

a. Non-GAAP financial measure; see Appendix Tables A-5 for GAAP Reconciliation to Net Income that excludes fair value adjustments related to derivatives. The Company is unable to provide guidance for Net Income due to the impact of such fair value adjustments related to derivatives in a given year

Capital Allocation Update

As part of the Company's long-term capital allocation policy, the return of capital to shareholders during the first half of 2020 was comprised of a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share, or $148 million, and share repurchases of $228 million through August 6, 2020 at an average price of $33.05 per share.

The Company does not anticipate executing any further share repurchases over the remainder of 2020 and has allocated all of its remaining 2020 excess capital to fund the Direct Energy acquisition.

The Company’s common stock dividend, debt reduction and share repurchases are subject to available capital, market conditions and compliance with associated laws and regulations.

Earnings Conference Call

NRG’s July 24, 2020 business update and conference call served as its second quarter earnings call. The Company provided a comprehensive update and review of its strategy, 2020 & 2021 guidance, capital allocation and preliminary second quarter results. Today's materials and the July 24, 2020 materials and webcast can be found on NRG’s website at http://www.nrg.com and clicking on “Presentations & Webcasts” in the “Investors” section found at the top of the home page.

About NRG

At NRG, we’re bringing the power of energy to people and organizations by putting customers at the center of everything we do. We generate electricity and provide energy solutions and natural gas to more than 3.7 million residential, small business, and commercial and industrial customers through our diverse portfolio of retail brands. A Fortune 500 company, operating in the United States and Canada, NRG delivers innovative solutions while advocating for competitive energy markets and customer choice, and by working towards a sustainable energy future. More information is available at www.nrg.com. Connect with NRG on Facebook, LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter @nrgenergy, @nrginsight.

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, the information presented in this press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can typically be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan,” “think,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “predict,” “target,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company’s future revenues, income, indebtedness, capital structure, plans, expectations, objectives, projected financial performance and/or business results and other future events, and views of economic and market conditions.

Although NRG believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct, and actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated herein include, among others, the potential impact of COVID-19 or any other pandemic on the Company’s operations, financial position, risk exposure and liquidity, general economic conditions, hazards customary in the power industry, weather conditions, competition in wholesale power markets, the volatility of energy and fuel prices, failure of customers to perform under contracts, changes in the wholesale power markets, changes in government regulations, the condition of capital markets generally, our ability to access capital markets, cyberterrorism and inadequate cybersecurity, unanticipated outages at our generation facilities, adverse results in current and future litigation, failure to identify, execute or successfully implement acquisitions, repowerings or asset sales, our ability to implement value enhancing improvements to plant operations and companywide processes, our ability to achieve margin enhancement under our publicly announced transformation plan, our ability to achieve our net debt targets, our ability to maintain investment grade credit metrics, our ability to proceed with projects under development or the inability to complete the construction of such projects on schedule or within budget, the inability to maintain or create successful partnering relationships, our ability to operate our business efficiently, our ability to retain retail customers, our ability to realize value through our commercial operations strategy, the ability to consummate the Direct Energy acquisition, the ability to successfully integrate businesses of acquired companies including Direct Energy, our ability to realize anticipated benefits of transactions (including expected cost savings and other synergies) or the risk that anticipated benefits may take longer to realize than expected, and our ability to execute our Capital Allocation Plan. Achieving investment grade credit metrics is not a indication of or guarantee that the Company will receive investment grade credit ratings. Debt and share repurchases may be made from time to time subject to market conditions and other factors, including as permitted by United States securities laws. Furthermore, any common stock dividend is subject to available capital and market conditions.

NRG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow guidance and excess cash guidance are estimates as of August 6, 2020. These estimates are based on assumptions the company believed to be reasonable as of that date. NRG disclaims any current intention to update such guidance, except as required by law. The foregoing review of factors that could cause NRG’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements included in this press release should be considered in connection with information regarding risks and uncertainties that may affect NRG's future results included in NRG's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.