Spark Energy, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Dividend

HOUSTON, Oct. 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark”), announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend for the third quarter of 2016 in the amount of $0.3625 per share of common stock. This amount represents an annualized dividend of $1.45 per share. The third quarter dividend will be paid on December 14, 2016 to holders of record on December 1, 2016.

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 18 states and serves 90 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

 

Contact:  Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:
Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:
Eric Melchor, 281-833-4151

Primary Logo

Source: Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. Announces Closing of Major Energy Acquisition

HOUSTON, Aug. 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark” or the “Company”), announced today that the Company has completed its acquisition of the Major Energy Companies (“Major Energy”). Spark expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to earnings.

“Major Energy enhances our leading position in the Northeast markets we serve and gives Spark an additional established brand along with 220,000 RCEs,” said Nathan Kroeker, Spark’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We expect to realize multiple top and bottom line synergies as we work to fully integrate Major Energy into the Spark platform.”

“We are thrilled to join the Spark family,” added Dan Alper, Chief Executive Officer of Major Energy. “We have already been working with National Gas & Electric to integrate customer billing systems, streamline our reporting, and share best practices in anticipation of the drop-down to Spark.”

“We are proud of how quickly and efficiently the teams at National Gas & Electric and the Company worked to complete this transaction,” said W. Keith Maxwell III, NG&E’s Chief Executive Officer and Founder and Chairman of Spark. “Looking forward, we are excited for the Company’s future as we continue to evaluate several acquisition opportunities that could be potential drop-downs to Spark.”

Major Energy represents the seventh acquisition by Spark since its initial public offering on August 1, 2014.

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 18 states and serves 90 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

Contact: Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:
Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:
Eric Melchor, 281-833-4151

Primary Logo

Source: Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. Reports Record Second Quarter 2016 Financial Results and Increases 2016 Adjusted EBITDA Guidance

HOUSTON, Aug. 10, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark”), today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2016.

Highlights

  • Earned $11.5 million in Adjusted EBITDA, $29.1 million in Retail Gross Margin and $10.7 million in Net Income for the quarter ended June 30, 2016
  • Increased 2016 full year Adjusted EBITDA guidance range to $75 million – $82 million, an increase of 71% at the midpoint versus prior guidance
  • Invested $2.8 million in organic customer acquisitions, while reducing attrition to 4.0%
  • Reported consistently strong unit margins across both retail natural gas and electricity segments
  • Closed the acquisition of the Provider Power companies on August 1
  • Declared second quarter dividend of $0.3625 per share of Class A common stock payable on September 13, 2016

For the second quarter of 2016, Spark reported Adjusted EBITDA of $11.5 million, Retail Gross Margin of $29.1 million and Net Income of $10.7 million, each of which represents record financial results for the second quarter. This compares to Adjusted EBITDA of $5.4 million, Retail Gross Margin of $24.7 million and Net Income of $4.0 million for the second quarter of 2015, representing increases of 111%, 18%, and 166%, respectively.

“We are very pleased with our second quarter results,” said Nathan Kroeker, Spark Energy’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Once again, we achieved solid margins in both our retail electricity and retail natural gas segments while reducing our rate of customer attrition.

“As previously announced, we closed on the Provider Power (“Provider”) acquisition last week and we are happy to welcome the Provider companies into the Spark family. In addition, we expect to close on the acquisition of the Major Companies in the coming weeks. These transactions demonstrate that we continue to execute on our strategy to grow aggressively through impactful acquisitions that increase our customer base along with organic customer additions.”

Acquisition of Provider Power

On August 1, 2016, Spark announced that it completed its acquisition of Provider. The Provider acquisition delivered 121,000 RCEs, primarily in Maine and New Hampshire, two states new to Spark, and adds nine new utilities to Spark’s geographic footprint creating new opportunities for organic customer acquisitions.

Update on Major Energy

On May 4, 2016, Spark announced that Spark and National Gas & Electric, LLC (“NGE”), an affiliate, entered into a purchase and sale agreement for the acquisition of Major Energy, a retail energy business with approximately 210,000 RCEs. Spark expects this transaction to be completed later in the third quarter.

Major Energy serves electricity and natural gas customers in eight states and will add fifteen new utilities to Spark’s footprint when the acquisition closes. Spark intends to leverage the Major management team’s retail energy expertise and knowledge to further enhance the already highly efficient and profitable business model that they have built.

2016 Financial Guidance

Spark’s financial results have continued to exceed expectations. With the closing of Provider and the anticipated close of Major Energy, the Company is increasing its 2016 Adjusted EBITDA guidance range from $44.0 million – $48.0 million to $75.0 million – $82.0 million, an increase of 71% versus the midpoint of our guidance.

Summary Second Quarter 2016 Financial Results

For the quarter ended June 30, 2016, Spark reported Adjusted EBITDA of $11.5 million compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $5.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2015. This increase of $6.1 million is primarily attributable to increased Retail Gross Margin in our electricity and natural gas segments and decreased customer acquisition costs, as well as approximately $1.2 million in year-over-year savings as a result of the master services agreement with our affiliate, Retailco Services, LLC. This is partially offset by increased general and administrative expenses due to our increased RCE count following our Oasis and CenStar acquisitions in the third quarter of last year.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2016, Spark reported Retail Gross Margin of $29.1 million compared to Retail Gross Margin of $24.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2015. This increase of $4.4 million is primarily attributable to expanded natural gas unit margins and increased retail electricity and natural gas volumes. Favorable supply costs across several of our markets were a key driver of these elevated unit margins in the second quarter.

Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 was $10.7 million compared to net income of $4.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2015. Earnings per share (EPS) variance analysis is not included, as management does not view EPS as a meaningful metric given the unpredictability of the unrealized gains and losses on the hedge portfolio, as well as other non-cash items including non-cash compensation and amortization of customer acquisition costs and customer relationships in excess of current period customer acquisition costs.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

(in thousands) June 30, 2016
Cash and cash equivalents $   7,262
Senior Credit Facility Working Capital Line Availability (1)   65,265
Senior Credit Facility Acquisition Line Availability (2)   7,755
Total Liquidity $  80,282
(1) Subject to Senior Credit Facility borrowing base restrictions.
(2) Subject to Senior Credit Facility covenant restrictions.

Conference Call and Webcast

Spark will host a conference call to discuss second quarter 2016 results on Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 10:00 AM Central Time (11:00 AM Eastern).

A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed from the Events & Presentations page of the Spark Energy Investor Relations website at http://ir.sparkenergy.com/events.cfm. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for twelve months following the live presentation.

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 18 states and serves 75 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This earnings release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology including “may,” “should,” “likely,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,” “intend,” “project,” or other similar words. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release, regarding strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives and beliefs of management are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this release and may include statements about business strategy and prospects for growth, customer acquisition costs, ability to pay cash dividends, cash flow generation and liquidity, availability of capital, competition, government regulation and general economic conditions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot give any assurance that such expectations will prove correct.

The forward-looking statements in this report are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors which could cause actual results to materially differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

  • changes in commodity prices,
  • extreme and unpredictable weather conditions,
  • the sufficiency of risk management and hedging policies,
  • customer concentration,
  • federal, state and local regulation,
  • key license retention,
  • increased regulatory scrutiny and compliance costs,
  • our ability to borrow funds and access credit markets,
  • restrictions in our debt agreements and collateral requirements,
  • credit risk with respect to suppliers and customers,
  • level of indebtedness,
  • changes in costs to acquire customers,
  • actual customer attrition rates,
  • actual bad debt expense in non-POR markets,
  • accuracy of internal billing systems,
  • ability to successfully navigate entry into new markets,
  • whether our majority stockholder or its affiliates offers us acquisition opportunities on terms that are commercially acceptable to us,
  • competition, and
  • other factors discussed in “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and in our other public filings and press releases.

You should review the risk factors and other factors noted throughout or incorporated by reference in this press release that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Unless required by law, we disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise these statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. It is not possible for us to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AS OF JUNE 30, 2016 AND DECEMBER 31, 2015
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
June 30, 2016 December 31, 2015
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $   7,262 $   4,474
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $2.0 million and $1.9 million as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015   42,677   59,936
Accounts receivable—affiliates   1,009   1,840
Inventory   1,827   3,665
Fair value of derivative assets   2,705   605
Customer acquisition costs, net   11,857   13,389
Customer relationships, net   4,964   6,627
Prepaid assets (1)   1,699   700
Deposits   3,565   7,421
Other current assets   4,763   4,023
Total current assets 82,328 102,680
Property and equipment, net   5,035   4,476
Fair value of derivative assets   439   –
Customer acquisition costs, net   2,436   3,808
Customer relationships, net   4,418   6,802
Non-current deferred tax assets   52,460   23,380
Goodwill   18,379   18,379
Other assets   2,567   2,709
Total assets $ 168,062 $ 162,234
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $   22,257 $   29,732
Accounts payable—affiliates   1,990   1,962
Accrued liabilities   14,368   12,245
Fair value of derivative liabilities   1,929   10,620
Current portion of Senior Credit Facility   5,306   27,806
Current payable pursuant to tax receivable agreement—affiliates   1,407   –
Other current liabilities   2,308   1,823
Total current liabilities   49,565   84,188
Long-term liabilities:
Fair value of derivative liabilities   458   618
Long-term payable pursuant to tax receivable agreement—affiliates   46,768   20,713
Long-term portion of Senior Credit Facility   11,939   14,592
Non-current deferred tax liability   –   853
Convertible subordinated notes to affiliate   6,502   6,339
Other long-term liabilities   –   1,612
Total liabilities 115,232 128,915
Stockholders’ equity:
Common Stock:
Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 120,000,000 shares authorized, 6,470,128 issued and outstanding at June 30, 2016 and 3,118,623 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015   65   31
Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 60,000,000 shares authorized, 7,525,000 issued and outstanding at June 30, 2016 and 10,750,000 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015   76   108
Preferred Stock:
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, 20,000,000 shares authorized, zero issued and outstanding at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015   –   –
Additional paid-in capital 21,997   12,565
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (28 )
Retained earnings (deficit)   1,491   (1,366 )
Total stockholders’ equity 23,601   11,338
Non-controlling interest in Spark HoldCo, LLC   29,229   21,981
Total equity   52,830   33,319
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 168,062 $ 162,234
(1) Prepaid assets includes prepaid assets—affiliates of $100 and $210 as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.
SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
FOR THE THREE AND SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2016 AND 2015
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2016 2015(1) 2016 2015(1)
Revenues:
Retail revenues $   76,863 $   70,310 $   186,882 $   170,184
Net asset optimization revenues (2)   (676 )   (67 )   (150 )   1,862
Total Revenues   76,187   70,243   186,732   172,046
Operating Expenses:
Retail cost of revenues (3)   37,845   45,948   106,644   115,033
General and administrative (4)   16,199   13,712   33,580   28,416
Depreciation and amortization   6,244   6,038   13,033   10,316
Total Operating Expenses   60,288   65,698   153,257   153,765
Operating income   15,899   4,545   33,475   18,281
Other (expense)/income:
Interest expense   (619 )   (234 )   (1,373 )   (615 )
Interest and other income   194   186   99   321
Total other expenses   (425 )   (48 )   (1,274 )   (294 )
Income before income tax expense   15,474   4,497   32,201   17,987
Income tax expense   4,736   458   5,723   1,019
Net income $   10,738 $   4,039 $   26,478 $   16,968
Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests   8,397   3,878   19,964   14,398
Net income attributable to Spark Energy, Inc. stockholders $   2,341 $   161 $   6,514 $   2,570
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
Currency translation loss $   (61 ) $   – $   (61 ) $   –
Other comprehensive loss   (61 )   –   (61 )   –
Comprehensive income $   10,677 $   4,039 $   26,417 $   16,968
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests $   8,364 $   3,878 $   19,931 14,398
Comprehensive income attributable to Spark Energy, Inc. stockholders $   2,313 $   161 $   6,486 2,570
(1) Financial information has been recast to include results attributable to the acquisition of Oasis Power Holdings LLC from an affiliate on May 12, 2015.
(2) Net asset optimization (expenses) revenues includes asset optimization revenues—affiliates of $41 and $176 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and asset optimization revenues—affiliates cost of revenues of $376 and $3,114 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively and asset optimization revenues—affiliates of $154 and $665 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and asset optimization revenue—affiliates cost of revenues of $1,633 and $6,207 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
(3) Retail cost of revenues includes retail cost of revenues—affiliates of less than $100 for each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
(4) General and administrative includes general and administrative expense—affiliates of $4.0 million and $0 for the three months ended June 30, 2016, and 2015, respectively, and $8.4 million and $0 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2016
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Issued
Shares
of
Class A
Common Stock
Issued
Shares
of
Class B
Common Stock
Issued
Shares
of
Preferred Stock
Class A
Common
Stock
Class B
Common
Stock
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Retained
Earnings
(Deficit)
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
Non
controlling
Interest
Total
Equity
Balance at December 31, 2015 3,119 10,750 $ 31 $ 108 $ $ 12,565 $ (1,366 ) $ 11,338 $ 21,981 $ 33,319
Stock based compensation 690 690 690
Restricted stock unit vesting 126 2 1,214 1,216 1,216
Excess tax benefit related to restricted stock vesting 141 141 141
Consolidated net income 6,514 6,514 19,964 26,478
Foreign currency translation adjustment for equity method investee (28 ) (28 ) (33 ) (61 )
Beneficial conversion feature 63 63 63
Distributions paid to non-controlling unit holders (9,967 ) (9,967 )
Dividends paid to Class A common stockholders (3,657 ) (3,657 ) (3,657 )
Proceed from disgorgement of stockholder short-swing profits 580 580 580
Tax impact from tax receivable agreement upon exchange of units of Spark HoldCo, LLC to shares of Class A Common Stock 4,028 4,028 4,028
Exchange of shares of Class B common stock to shares of Class A common stock 3,225 (3,225 ) 32 (32 ) 2,716 2,716 (2,716 )
Balance at June 30, 2016 6,470 7,525 $ 65 $ 76 $ (28 ) $ 21,997 $ 1,491 $ 23,601 $ 29,229 $ 52,830
SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2016 AND 2015
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Six Months Ended June 30,
2016 2015(1)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income $   26,478 $   16,968
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense   13,033   10,316
Deferred income taxes   1,556   277
Stock based compensation   2,441   1,159
Amortization of deferred financing costs   235   101
Change in fair value of CenStar Earnout   1,000   –
Bad debt expense   462   4,179
Loss on derivatives, net   4,339   6,179
Current period cash settlements on derivatives, net   (15,828 )   (9,076 )
Accretion of discount to convertible subordinated notes to affiliate   71   –
Interest paid in kind – subordinated convertible notes   155   –
Income on equity method investment in eREX Spark Marketing Joint Venture   (104 )   –
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Decrease in restricted cash   –   707
Decrease in accounts receivable   16,797   19,608
Decrease in accounts receivable—affiliates   830   698
Decrease in inventory   1,837   5,087
Increase in customer acquisition costs   (5,104 )   (11,900 )
Decrease in prepaid and other current assets   1,881   5,610
Increase in intangible assets—customer relationships   –   (2,720 )
Decrease in other assets   535   457
Decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities   (5,002 )   (12,087 )
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable—affiliates   28   (228 )
Decrease in other current liabilities   (414 )   (1,195 )
(Decrease) increase in other non-current liabilities   (1,612 )   1,553
Net cash provided by operating activities   43,614   35,693
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment   (1,449 )   (892 )
Investment in eREX Spark Marketing Joint Venture   (413 )   –
Net cash used in investing activities   (1,862 )   (892 )
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on the Senior Credit Facility   –   6,000
Payments on the Senior Credit Facility   (25,152 )   (30,000 )
Contributions from NuDevco   –   129
Proceeds from disgorgement of stockholders short-swing profits   580   –
Restricted stock vesting   (909 )   (270 )
Excess tax benefit related to restricted stock vesting   141   –
Payment of dividends to Class A common stockholders   (3,657 )   (2,210 )
Payment of distributions to non-controlling unitholders   (9,967 )   (7,794 )
Net cash used in financing activities   (38,964 )   (34,145 )
Increase in cash and cash equivalents   2,788   656
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period   4,474   4,359
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period $   7,262 $   5,015
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
Non cash items:
Liability due to tax receivable agreement $   (27,462 ) $   –
Tax benefit from tax receivable agreement $   31,490 $   –
Construction in process accrual $   22 $   179
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest $   944 $   598
Taxes $   1,892 $   150
(1) Financial information has been recast to include results attributable to the acquisition of Oasis Power Holdings LLC from an affiliate on May 12, 2015.
SPARK ENERGY, INC.
OPERATING SEGMENT RESULTS
FOR THE THREE AND SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2016 AND 2015
(in thousands, except per unit operating data)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2016 2015 2016 2015
Retail Natural Gas Segment
Total Revenues $   18,631 $   21,545 $   67,243 $   78,899
Retail Cost of Revenues   4,543   9,490   27,042   42,956
Less: Net Asset Optimization (Expenses) Revenues   (676 )   (67 )   (150 )   1,862
Less: Net Gains on non-trading derivatives, net of cash settlements   3,301   2,628   4,732   6,275
Retail Gross Margin—Gas $   11,463 $   9,494 $   35,619 $   27,806
Volume of Gas (MMBtu)   2,511,369   2,290,913   8,623,800   8,854,958
Retail Gross Margin—Gas ($/MMBtu) $   4.56 $   4.14 $   4.13 $   3.14
Retail Electricity Segment
Total Revenues $   57,556 $   48,698 $   119,489 $   93,147
Retail Cost of Revenues   33,302   36,458   79,602   72,077
Less: Net Gains (Losses) on non-trading derivatives, net of cash settlements   6,580   (2,943 )   6,807   (3,675 )
Retail Gross Margin—Electricity $   17,674 $   15,183 $   33,080 $   24,745
Volume of Electricity (MWh)   565,452   426,402   1,152,130   799,253
Retail Gross Margin—Electricity ($/MWh) $   31.26 $   35.61 $   28.71 $   30.96

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures

Adjusted EBITDA

We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as EBITDA less (i) customer acquisition costs incurred in the current period, (ii) net gain (loss) on derivative instruments, and (iii) net current period cash settlements on derivative instruments, plus (iv) non-cash compensation expense and (v) other non-cash operating items. EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) before provision for income taxes, interest expense and depreciation and amortization. We deduct all current period customer acquisition costs (representing spending for organic customer acquisitions) in the Adjusted EBITDA calculation because such costs reflect a cash outlay in the period in which they are incurred, even though we capitalize such costs and amortize them over two years in accordance with our accounting policies. The deduction of current period customer acquisition costs is consistent with how we manage our business, but the comparability of Adjusted EBITDA between periods may be affected by varying levels of customer acquisition costs. For example, our Adjusted EBITDA is lower in periods of customer growth reflecting larger customer acquisition spending. We do not deduct the cost of customer relationships (representing those customer acquisitions through acquisitions of business or portfolios of customers). We deduct our net gains (losses) on derivative instruments, excluding current period cash settlements, from the Adjusted EBITDA calculation in order to remove the non-cash impact of net gains and losses on derivative instruments. We also deduct non-cash compensation expense as a result of restricted stock units that are issued under our long-term incentive plan.

We believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA provides information useful to investors in assessing our liquidity and financial condition and results of operations and that Adjusted EBITDA is also useful to investors as a financial indicator of a company’s ability to incur and service debt, pay dividends and fund capital expenditures. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental financial measure that management and external users of our condensed consolidated financial statements, such as industry analysts, investors, commercial banks and rating agencies, use to assess the following:

  • our operating performance as compared to other publicly traded companies in the retail energy industry, without regard to financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis;
  • the ability of our assets to generate earnings sufficient to support our proposed cash dividends; and
  • our ability to fund capital expenditures (including customer acquisition costs) and incur and service debt.

Retail Gross Margin

We define retail gross margin as operating income  plus (i) depreciation and amortization expenses and (ii) general and administrative expenses, less (i) net asset optimization revenues, (ii) net gains (losses) on non-trading derivative instruments, and (iii) net current period cash settlements on non-trading derivative instruments. Retail gross margin is included as a supplemental disclosure because it is a primary performance measure used by our management to determine the performance of our retail natural gas and electricity business by removing the impacts of our asset optimization activities and net non-cash income (loss) impact of our economic hedging activities. We believe retail gross margin provides information useful to investors as an indicator of our retail energy business’ operating performance.

The GAAP measures most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA are net income and net cash provided by operating activities. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Retail Gross Margin is operating income. Our non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin should not be considered as alternatives to net income, net cash provided by operating activities, or operating income. Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin are not presentations made in accordance with GAAP and have important limitations as analytical tools. You should not consider Adjusted EBITDA or Retail Gross Margin in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin exclude some, but not all, items that affect net income and net cash provided by operating activities, and are defined differently by different companies in our industry, our definition of Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Management compensates for the limitations of Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin as analytical tools by reviewing the comparable GAAP measures, understanding the differences between the measures and incorporating these data points into management’s decision-making process.

The following tables present a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) and net cash provided by operating activities for each of the periods indicated.

APPENDIX TABLES A-1 AND A-2
ADJUSTED EBITDA RECONCILIATIONS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2016 2015 2016 2015
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income:
Net income $ 10,738 $ 4,039 $ 26,478 $ 16,968
Depreciation and amortization 6,244 6,038 13,033 10,316
Interest expense 619 234 1,373 615
Income tax expense 4,736 458 5,723 1,019
EBITDA 22,337 10,769 46,607 28,918
Less:
Net, Gains (losses) on derivative instruments 5,410 (4,874 ) (4,339 ) (6,179 )
Net, Cash settlements on derivative instruments 4,465 4,533 15,737 8,724
Customer acquisition costs 2,800 6,271 5,104 11,900
Plus:
Non-cash compensation expense 1,824 609 2,441 1,159
Adjusted EBITDA $ 11,486 $ 5,448 $ 32,546 $ 15,632
Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2016 2015 2016 2015
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net cash
provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 18,112 $ 16,447 $ 43,614 $ 35,693
Amortization of deferred financing costs (118 ) (51 ) (235 ) (101 )
Bad debt expense 445 (1,232 ) (462 ) (4,179 )
Interest expense 619 234 1,373 615
Income tax expense 4,736 458 5,723 1,019
Changes in operating working capital
Accounts receivable, prepaids, current assets (15,901 ) (19,120 ) (19,508 ) (23,903 )
Inventory 1,647 2,434 (1,837 ) (5,087 )
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (416 ) 6,504 4,974 12,315
Other 2,362 (226 ) (1,096 ) (740 )
Adjusted EBITDA $ 11,486 $ 5,448 $ 32,546 $ 15,632
Cash Flow Data:
Cash flows provided by operating activities $ 18,112 $ 16,447 $ 43,614 $ 35,693
Cash flows used in investing activities $ (1,029 ) $ (451 ) $ (1,862 ) $ (892 )
Cash flows used in financing activities $ (12,770 ) $ (16,160 ) $ (38,964 ) $ (34,145 )

The following table presents a reconciliation of Retail Gross Margin to operating income (loss) for each of the periods indicated.

APPENDIX TABLE A-3
RETAIL GROSS MARGIN RECONCILIATION
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2016 2015 2016 2015
Reconciliation of Retail Gross Margin to Operating Income:
Operating income $ 15,899 $ 4,545 $ 33,475 $ 18,281
Depreciation and amortization 6,244 6,038 13,033 10,316
General and administrative 16,199 13,712 33,580 28,416
Less:
Net asset optimization (expenses) revenues (676 ) (67 ) (150 ) 1,862
Net, Gains (losses) on non-trading derivative instruments 5,487 (4,808 ) (4,133 ) (6,008 )
Net, Cash settlements on non-trading derivative instruments 4,394 4,493 15,672 8,608
Retail Gross Margin $ 29,137 $ 24,677 $ 68,699 $ 52,551
Contact: Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:

Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:

Eric Melchor, 281-833-4151

Primary Logo

Source: Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. Announces Closing of Provider Acquisition and Date for Earnings Release

HOUSTON, Aug. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark” or the “Company”), announced today that the Company has completed its acquisition of Provider Power (“Provider”). Spark expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to earnings.

“We are happy to welcome the Provider companies into Spark,” said Nathan Kroeker, Spark’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Provider gives us an additional 121,000 RCEs, primarily in Maine and New Hampshire, and includes nine utilities new to Spark. Closing Provider, as well as the pending acquisition of the Major Companies that we expect to close later this quarter, demonstrate Spark’s continued execution of our goal to grow aggressively and responsively through meaningful acquisitions.”

“We are very excited to be joining the Spark family,” added Kevin B. Dean, Managing Member of Provider. “Combining our operations with Spark will allow us to realize efficiencies and synergies to better serve our customers in the Northeast as we continue to grow our business.”

Earnings Conference Call and Webcast

Spark also announced that it plans to release earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, on Thursday, August 11, 2016. The Company will host a conference call to discuss second quarter 2016 results on Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 10:00 AM Central Time (11:00 AM Eastern).

A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed from the Events & Presentations page of the Spark Energy Investor Relations website at http://ir.sparkenergy.com/events.cfm. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for twelve months following the live presentation.

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 18 states and serves 75 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

 

Contact: Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:

Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:

Eric Melchor, 281-833-4151

Primary Logo

Source: Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. Announces Second Quarter Dividend, Provides Preliminary Second Quarter Results

HOUSTON, July 20, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark”), announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend for the second quarter of 2016 in the amount of $0.3625 per share of common stock. This amount represents an annualized dividend of $1.45 per share. The second quarter dividend will be paid on September 13, 2016 to holders of record on August 29, 2016.

Spark also announced today preliminary financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2016. While still finalizing results, Spark expects to record Adjusted EBITDA of between $10.0 and $12.0 million for the second quarter.

“The second quarter far exceeded our expectations,” said Nathan Kroeker, Spark’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to discussing our strong financial results on our second quarter earnings call in early August. In addition, we plan on providing updated guidance on the call, which will be significantly higher than previously announced.”

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 16 states and serves 66 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. The estimate of Adjusted EBITDA in this press release is subject to change based on finalization of financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2106. These statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology including “may,” “should,” “likely,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,” “intend,” “project,” or other similar words. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release, regarding strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives and beliefs of management are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this release and may include statements about business strategy and prospects for growth, customer acquisition costs, ability to pay cash dividends, cash flow generation and liquidity, availability of terms of capital, competition and government regulation and general economic conditions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot give any assurance that such expectations will prove correct.

The forward-looking statements in this report are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors which could cause actual results to materially differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

  • changes in commodity prices,
  • finalization of Spark’s financial reporting for the quarter ended June 30, 2016,
  • extreme and unpredictable weather conditions,
  • the sufficiency of risk management and hedging policies,
  • customer concentration,
  • federal, state and local regulation, including the industry’s ability to prevail on its challenge to the New York Public Service Commission’s order enacting new regulations that sought to impose significant new restrictions on retail energy providers operating in New York,
  • key license retention,
  • increased regulatory scrutiny and compliance costs,
  • our ability to borrow funds and access credit markets,
  • restrictions in our debt agreements and collateral requirements,
  • credit risk with respect to suppliers and customers,
  • level of indebtedness,
  • changes in costs to acquire customers,
  • actual customer attrition rates,
  • actual bad debt expense in non-POR markets,
  • accuracy of internal billing systems,
  • ability to successfully navigate entry into new markets,
  • whether our majority stockholder or its affiliates offers us acquisition opportunities on terms that are commercially acceptable to us,
  • ability to successfully and efficiently integrate acquisitions into our operations,
  • competition, and
  • other factors discussed in “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and in our other public filings and press releases.

You should review the risk factors and other factors noted throughout our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, both of which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Unless required by law, we disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise these statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. It is not possible for us to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

Reconciliation of Spark’s estimate of Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 to the relevant GAAP line items is not being provided as Spark is not providing preliminary guidance for net income (loss), net cash provided by operating activities, or the reconciling items between these GAAP financial measures and Adjusted EBITDA. Accordingly, a reconciliation to net income (loss) or net cash provided by operating activities is not available without unreasonable effort.

Contact:  Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:
Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:
Eric Melchor, 281-833-4151

Primary Logo

Source: Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2016 Financial Results, Announces Acquisition of Major Energy and Provider Power

HOUSTON, May 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark”), today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

For the first quarter of 2016, Adjusted EBITDA was $21.1 million and Retail Gross Margin was $39.6 million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $10.2 million and Retail Gross Margin of $27.9 million for the first quarter of 2015.

“We are extremely excited with our record first quarter results,” said Nathan Kroeker, Spark Energy, Inc.’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We continued to achieve enhanced margins in both our retail electricity and retail natural gas segments while producing improvements in our attrition.

“We are also pleased to announce today two significant pending acquisitions, Major Energy (“Major”) and Provider Power (“Provider”). We expect these two transactions to add approximately $30.0 million of annual Adjusted EBITDA, excluding integration costs which are expected to be complete by the end of this year. Collectively, we anticipate these transactions will add approximately 335,000 RCEs to our portfolio, bringing our total RCE count to approximately 750,000. These acquisitions will provide us access to two new states, Maine and New Hampshire, and 24 new utilities. We expect to close both of these transactions early in the third quarter.”

First Quarter 2016 Highlights

  • $21.1 million in Adjusted EBITDA and $39.6 million in Retail Gross Margin
  • Invested $2.3 million in organic customer acquisitions
  • Consistently strong unit margins across both retail natural gas and electricity segments
  • RCE Attrition reduced to 4.3%
  • Paid fourth quarter dividend of $0.3625 per share of Class A common stock on March 14, 2016
  • Declared first quarter dividend of $0.3625 per share of Class A common stock payable on June 14, 2016

Acquisition of Major Energy

Spark announced today that Spark and National Gas & Electric, LLC (“NGE”), an affiliate, have entered into a purchase and sale agreement for the acquisition of Major Energy, a retail energy business with approximately 210,000 RCEs. NGE closed on the acquisition of Major Energy on April 15, 2016 and has since been preparing the company as a dropdown to Spark. Major Energy serves electricity and natural gas customers in eight states and adds fifteen new utilities to Spark’s footprint. Spark intends on leveraging the Major management team’s retail energy expertise and knowledge to further enhance an already highly efficient and profitable business model which they have built.

Spark will be issuing $40.0 million of shares to NGE as consideration for the upfront purchase price for Major. In addition, there are assumed liabilities and earnouts over the next three years that are subject to performance metrics. A special committee of the Board of Directors, consisting solely of independent directors, approved this transaction.

Acquisition of Provider Power

Spark announced today that it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement for the acquisition of all retail business operations of Provider Power, LLC, representing approximately 125,000 RCEs. The business being acquired serves electricity customers primarily in Maine and New Hampshire and includes nine new utilities to Spark.

The purchase price is $28.0 million, plus an earn-out that is subject to performance metrics for the first year. The Company is financing the purchase price payable at closing through the issuance of 900,000 shares to Retailco, LLC for a total of $18.0 million. A special committee of the Board of Directors, consisting solely of independent directors, approved the sale of equity by the Company to Retailco, LLC.

Please see the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, for a more detailed description of the Major and Provider acquisitions and the financing of the Provider acquisition.

Summary First Quarter 2016 Financial Results

For the quarter ended March 31, 2016, Spark reported Adjusted EBITDA of $21.1 million compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $10.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. This increase of $10.9 million is primarily attributable to increased Retail Gross Margin in our electricity and natural gas segments and decreased customer acquisition costs, partially offset by increased general and administrative expenses due to our increased RCE count following our Oasis and CenStar acquisitions in the third quarter of last year.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2016, Spark reported Retail Gross Margin of $39.6 million compared to Retail Gross Margin of $27.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. This increase of $11.7 million is primarily attributable to expanded natural gas unit margins and increased retail electricity volumes. Favorable supply costs across several of our markets were a key driver of these elevated unit margins in the first quarter.

Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 was $15.7 million compared to net income of $12.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. Earnings per share (EPS) variance analysis is not included, as management does not view EPS as a valuable metric given the unpredictability of the unrealized gains and losses on the hedge portfolio, as well as other non-cash items including non-cash compensation and amortization of customer acquisition costs and customer relationships in excess of current period customer acquisition costs.

2016 Financial Guidance

With our record first quarter results, we are highly confident in achieving our initial 2016 guidance range of $44.0 million to $48.0 million. With the pending acquisitions and our updated projections, we are currently re-evaluating our guidance to reflect these positive changes.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

(in thousands) March 31, 2016
Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,949
Senior Credit Facility Working Capital Line Availability (1) 33,348
Senior Credit Facility Acquisition Line Availability (2) 6,428
Total Liquidity $ 42,725
(1) Subject to Senior Credit Facility borrowing base restrictions.
(2) Subject to Senior Credit Facility covenant restrictions.

Conference Call and Webcast

Spark will host a conference call to discuss first quarter 2016 results on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 10:00 AM Central Time (11:00 AM Eastern).

A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed from the Events & Presentations page of the Spark Energy Investor Relations website at http://ir.sparkenergy.com/events.cfm. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for twelve months following the live presentation.

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 16 states and serves 66 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This earnings release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology including “may,” “should,” “likely,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,” “intend,” “project,” or other similar words. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release, regarding strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives and beliefs of management are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this release and may include statements about business strategy and prospects for growth, customer acquisition costs, ability to pay cash dividends, cash flow generation and liquidity, availability of terms of capital, competition and government regulation and general economic conditions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot give any assurance that such expectations will prove correct.

The forward-looking statements in this report are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors which could cause actual results to materially differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

  • changes in commodity prices,
  • extreme and unpredictable weather conditions,
  • the sufficiency of risk management and hedging policies,
  • customer concentration,
  • federal, state and local regulation, including the industry’s ability to prevail on its challenge to the New York Public Service Commission’s order enacting new regulations that sought to impose significant new restrictions on retail energy providers operating in New York,
  • key license retention,
  • increased regulatory scrutiny and compliance costs,
  • our ability to borrow funds and access credit markets,
  • restrictions in our debt agreements and collateral requirements,
  • credit risk with respect to suppliers and customers,
  • level of indebtedness,
  • changes in costs to acquire customers,
  • actual customer attrition rates,
  • actual bad debt expense in non-POR markets,
  • accuracy of internal billing systems,
  • ability to successfully navigate entry into new markets,
  • whether our majority stockholder or its affiliates offers us acquisition opportunities on terms that are commercially acceptable to us,
  • competition, and
  • other factors discussed in “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and in our other public filings and press releases.

You should review the risk factors and other factors noted throughout our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, both of which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Unless required by law, we disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise these statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. It is not possible for us to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AS OF MARCH 31, 2016 AND DECEMBER 31, 2015
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $   2,949 $   4,474
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $2.8 million and $1.9 million as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015   53,968   59,936
Accounts receivable—affiliates   2,112   1,840
Inventory   181   3,665
Fair value of derivative assets   240   605
Customer acquisition costs, net   13,026   13,389
Customer relationships, net   5,698   6,627
Prepaid assets (1)   1,597   700
Deposits   7,073   7,421
Other current assets   4,537   4,023
Total current assets   91,381   102,680
Property and equipment, net   4,755   4,476
Customer acquisition costs, net   2,381   3,808
Customer relationships, net   5,512   6,802
Non-current deferred tax assets   34,531   23,380
Goodwill   18,379   18,379
Other assets   2,501   2,709
Total assets $   159,440 $   162,234
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $   23,207 $   29,732
Accounts payable—affiliates   3,910   1,962
Accrued liabilities   11,885   12,245
Fair value of derivative liabilities   9,719   10,620
Current portion of Senior Credit Facility   10,306   27,806
Current payable pursuant to tax receivable agreement—affiliates   1,407   –
Other current liabilities   2,878   1,823
Total current liabilities   63,312   84,188
Long-term liabilities:
Fair value of derivative liabilities   546   618
Long-term payable pursuant to tax receivable agreement—affiliates   29,592   20,713
Long-term portion of Senior Credit Facility   13,266   14,592
Non-current deferred tax liability   854   853
Convertible subordinated notes to affiliate   6,466   6,339
Other long-term liabilities   1,723   1,612
Total liabilities   115,759   128,915
Stockholders’ equity:
Common Stock:
Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 120,000,000 shares authorized, 4,118,623 issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016 and 3,118,623 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015   41   31
Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 60,000,000 shares authorized, 9,750,000 issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016 and 10,750,000 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015   98   108
Preferred Stock:
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, 20,000,000 shares authorized, zero issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015   –   –
Additional paid-in capital   16,600   12,565
Retained earnings (deficit)   1,314   (1,366 )
Total stockholders’ equity   18,053   11,338
Non-controlling interest in Spark HoldCo, LLC   25,628   21,981
Total equity   43,681   33,319
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $   159,440 $   162,234
(1) Prepaid assets includes prepaid assets—affiliates of $99 and $210 as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.

 

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2016 AND 2015
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31,
2016 2015
Revenues:
Retail revenues (1) $   110,019 $   99,874
Net asset optimization revenues (2)   527   1,929
Total Revenues   110,546   101,803
Operating Expenses:
Retail cost of revenues (3)   68,800   69,085
General and administrative (4)   17,380   14,704
Depreciation and amortization   6,789   4,278
Total Operating Expenses   92,969   88,067
Operating income   17,577   13,736
Other (expense)/income:
Interest expense   (753 )   (381 )
Interest and other income   (95 )   135
Total other expenses   (848 )   (246 )
Income before income tax expense   16,729   13,490
Income tax expense   988   561
Net income $   15,741 $   12,929
Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests   11,568   10,520
Net income attributable to Spark Energy, Inc. stockholders $   4,173 $   2,409
(1) Retail revenues includes retail revenues—affiliates of $0 for each of the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.
(2) Net asset optimization revenues includes asset optimization revenues—affiliates of $113 and $489 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and asset optimization revenues—affiliates cost of revenues of $1,258 and $3,093 for the three monthsended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
(3) Retail cost of revenues includes retail cost of revenues—affiliates of less than $100 for each of the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.
(4) General and administrative includes general and administrative expense—affiliates of $4.4 million and $0 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.

 

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2016
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Issued Shares
of Class A Common
Stock
Issued Shares
of Class B Common
Stock
Issued Shares
of Preferred Stock
Class A Common
Stock
Class B Common
Stock
Additional
Paid In
Capital
Retained
Earnings
(Deficit)
Total
Stockholders
Equity
Non-
controlling
Interest
Total
Equity
Balance at December 31, 2015   3,119   10,750   – $   31 $   108 $   12,565 $   (1,366 ) $   11,338 $   21,981 $   33,319
Stock based compensation   –   –   –   –   –   220   –   220   –   220
Consolidated net income  –   –   –  4,173   4,173  11,568  15,741
Beneficial conversion feature   –   –   –   –   –   63   –   63   –   63
Distributions paid to non-controlling unit holders   –   –   –   –   –   –   –   –   (5,876 )   (5,876 )
Dividends paid to Class A common stockholders   –   –   –   –   –   –  (1,493 )   (1,493 )   –   (1,493 )
Tax impact from tax receivable agreement upon exchange of units of Spark HoldCo, LLC to shares of Class A Common Stock   –   –   –   –   –   1,707   –   1,707   –   1,707
Exchange of shares of Class B common stock to shares of Class A common stock   1,000   (1,000 )   –   10   (10 )   2,045   –   2,045   (2,045 )   –
Balance at March 31, 2016   4,119   9,750   – $   41 $   98 $  16,600 $   1,314 $   18,053 $ 25,628 $ 43,681

 

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2016 AND 2015
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31,
2016 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income $   15,741 $   12,929
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense   6,789   4,278
Deferred income taxes   841   (159 )
Stock based compensation   618   550
Amortization of deferred financing costs   117   50
Change in fair value of CenStar Earnout   1,000   –
Bad debt expense   907   2,947
Loss on derivatives, net   9,749   1,305
Current period cash settlements on derivatives, net   (10,457 )   (4,191 )
Accretion of discount to convertible subordinated notes to affiliate   35   –
Interest paid in kind – subordinated convertible notes   155   –
Loss on equity method investment in eRex Spark   80   –
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Decrease in restricted cash   –   707
Decrease in accounts receivable   5,060   1,924
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable—affiliates   (273 )   207
Decrease in inventory   3,484   7,521
Increase in customer acquisition costs   (2,305 )   (5,629 )
(Increase) decrease in prepaid and other current assets   (1,180 )   2,621
Decrease (increase) in intangible assets—customer acquisitions   –   (676 )
Increase in other assets   265   –
Decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities   (7,340 )   (6,226 )
Increase in accounts payable—affiliates   1,949   415
Increase in other current liabilities   156   673
Increase in other non-current liabilities   111   –
Net cash provided by operating activities   25,502   19,246
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment   (665 )   (441 )
Investment in eRex joint venture   (168 )   –
Net cash used in investing activities   (833 )   (441 )
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on the Senior Credit Facility   –   3,000
Payments on the Senior Credit Facility   (18,825 )   (16,000 )
Payment of dividends to Class A common stockholders   (1,493 )   (1,088 )
Payment of distributions to non-controlling unitholders   (5,876 )   (3,897 )
Net cash used in financing activities   (26,194 )   (17,985 )
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents   (1,525 )   820
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period   4,474   4,359
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period $   2,949 $   5,179
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
Non cash items:
Property and equipment purchase accrual $   57 $   19
Tax impact from tax receivable agreement upon exchange of units of Spark HoldCo, LLC to shares of Class A Common Stock $   1,707 $   –
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest $   539 $   366
Taxes $   842 $   –

 

 

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
OPERATING SEGMENT RESULTS
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2016 AND 2015
(in thousands, except per unit operating data)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31,
2016 2015
Retail Natural Gas Segment
Total Revenues $ 48,613 $ 57,354
Retail Cost of Revenues 22,500 33,466
Less: Net Asset Optimization Revenues 527 1,929
Less: Net Gains on non-trading derivatives, net of cash settlements 1,430 3,647
Retail Gross Margin—Gas $ 24,156 $ 18,312
Volume of Gas (MMBtu) 6,112,431 6,564,045
Retail Gross Margin—Gas ($/MMBtu) $ 3.95 $ 2.79
Retail Electricity Segment
Total Revenues $ 61,933 $ 44,449
Retail Cost of Revenues 46,300 35,619
Less: Net Gains (Losses) on non-trading derivatives, net of cash settlements 227 (732 )
Retail Gross Margin—Electricity $ 15,406 $ 9,562
Volume of Electricity (MWh) 586,677 372,851
Retail Gross Margin—Electricity ($/MWh) $ 26.26 $ 25.65

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures

Adjusted EBITDA

We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as EBITDA less (i) customer acquisition costs incurred in the current period, (ii) net gain (loss) on derivative instruments, and (iii) net current period cash settlements on derivative instruments, plus (iv) non-cash compensation expense and (v) other non-cash operating items. EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) before provision for income taxes, interest expense and depreciation and amortization. We deduct all current period customer acquisition costs (representing spending for organic customer acquisitions) in the Adjusted EBITDA calculation because such costs reflect a cash outlay in the year in which they are incurred, even though we capitalize such costs and amortize them over two years in accordance with our accounting policies. The deduction of current period customer acquisition costs is consistent with how we manage our business, but the comparability of Adjusted EBITDA between periods may be affected by varying levels of customer acquisition costs. For example, our Adjusted EBITDA is lower in years of customer growth reflecting larger customer acquisition spending. We do not deduct the cost of customer relationships (representing those customer acquisitions through acquisitions of business or portfolios of customers). We deduct our net gains (losses) on derivative instruments, excluding current period cash settlements, from the Adjusted EBITDA calculation in order to remove the non-cash impact of net gains and losses on derivative instruments. We also deduct non-cash compensation expense as a result of restricted stock units that are issued under our long-term incentive plan.

We believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA provides information useful to investors in assessing our liquidity and financial condition and results of operations and that Adjusted EBITDA is also useful to investors as a financial indicator of a company’s ability to incur and service debt, pay dividends and fund capital expenditures. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental financial measure that management and external users of our condensed consolidated financial statements, such as industry analysts, investors, commercial banks and rating agencies, use to assess the following:

  • our operating performance as compared to other publicly traded companies in the retail energy industry, without regard to financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis;
  • the ability of our assets to generate earnings sufficient to support our proposed cash dividends; and
  • our ability to fund capital expenditures (including customer acquisition costs) and incur and service debt.

Retail Gross Margin

We define retail gross margin as operating income  plus (i) depreciation and amortization expenses and (ii) general and administrative expenses, less (i) net asset optimization revenues, (ii) net gains (losses) on non-trading derivative instruments, and (iii) net current period cash settlements on non-trading derivative instruments. Retail gross margin is included as a supplemental disclosure because it is a primary performance measure used by our management to determine the performance of our retail natural gas and electricity business by removing the impacts of our asset optimization activities and net non-cash income (loss) impact of our economic hedging activities. As an indicator of our retail energy business’ operating performance, retail gross margin should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, operating income, its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

The GAAP measures most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA are net income and net cash provided by operating activities. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Retail Gross Margin is operating income. Our non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin should not be considered as alternatives to net income, net cash provided by operating activities, or operating income. Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin are not presentations made in accordance with GAAP and have important limitations as analytical tools. You should not consider Adjusted EBITDA or Retail Gross Margin in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin exclude some, but not all, items that affect net income and net cash provided by operating activities, and are defined differently by different companies in our industry, our definition of Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Management compensates for the limitations of Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin as analytical tools by reviewing the comparable GAAP measures, understanding the differences between the measures and incorporating these data points into management’s decision-making process.

The following tables present a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) and net cash provided by operating activities for each of the periods indicated.

APPENDIX TABLES A-1 AND A-2
ADJUSTED EBITDA RECONCILIATIONS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31,
2016 2015
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income:
Net income $ 15,741 $ 12,929
Depreciation and amortization 6,789 4,278
Interest expense 753 381
Income tax expense 988 561
EBITDA 24,271 18,149
Less:
Net, Losses on derivative instruments (9,749 ) (1,305 )
Net, Cash settlements on derivative instruments 11,272 4,191
Customer acquisition costs 2,305 5,629
Plus:
Non-cash compensation expense 618 550
Adjusted EBITDA $ 21,061 $ 10,184

 

Three Months Ended March 31,
2016 2015
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net cash provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 25,502 $ 19,246
Amortization of deferred financing costs (117 ) (50 )
Bad debt expense (907 ) (2,947 )
Interest expense 753 381
Income tax expense 988 561
Changes in operating working capital
Accounts receivable, prepaids, current assets (3,607 ) (4,783 )
Inventory (3,484 ) (7,521 )
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 5,391 5,811
Other (3,458 ) (514 )
Adjusted EBITDA $ 21,061 $ 10,184
Cash Flow Data:
Cash flows provided by operating activities $ 25,502 $ 19,246
Cash flows used in investing activities $ (833 ) $ (441 )
Cash flows used in financing activities $ (26,194 ) $ (17,985 )

The following table presents a reconciliation of Retail Gross Margin to operating income (loss) for each of the periods indicated.

APPENDIX TABLE A-3
RETAIL GROSS MARGIN RECONCILIATION
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31,
2016 2015
Reconciliation of Retail Gross Margin to Operating Income:
Operating income $ 17,577 $ 13,736
Depreciation and amortization 6,789 4,278
General and administrative 17,380 14,704
Less:
Net asset optimization revenues 527 1,929
Net, Losses on non-trading derivative instruments (9,620 ) (1,200 )
Net, Cash settlements on non-trading derivative instruments 11,277 4,115
Retail Gross Margin $ 39,562 $ 27,874

 

Contact: Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:

Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:

Jenn Korell, 281-833-4151

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Source: Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. to Present First Quarter 2016 Financial Results on Thursday, May 5, 2016

HOUSTON, May 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark”), announced today that it plans to present its First Quarter 2016 financial results in a conference call and webcast on Thursday, May 5, 2015 at 10:00 AM Central (11:00 AM Eastern).

A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed from the Events & Presentations page of the Spark Energy Investor Relations website at http://ir.sparkenergy.com/events.cfm. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for twelve months following the live presentation.

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 16 states and serves 66 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

 

Contact:  Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:
Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:
Jenn Korell, 281-833-4151

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Source: Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. Announces First Quarter Dividend

HOUSTON, April 21, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark”), announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend for the first quarter of 2016 in the amount of $0.3625 per share of common stock. This amount represents an annualized dividend of $1.45 per share. The first quarter dividend will be paid on June 14, 2016 to holders of record on May 31, 2016.

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 16 states and serves 66 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

Contact:  Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:
Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:
Jenn Korell, 281-833-4151

Primary Logo

Source: Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. Announces Pricing of Secondary Offering of Class A Common Stock by Selling Stockholder

HOUSTON, March 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark”), announced today the pricing of an underwritten secondary public offering of 1.5 million shares of its Class A common stock held by Retailco, LLC (the “Selling Stockholder”), at a price to the public of $18.00 per share. The offering is expected to close on April 4, 2016, subject to customary closing conditions.

Spark will not receive any proceeds from the proposed secondary offering. In connection with the offering, the underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 225,000 shares, or 15%, in the offering from the Selling Stockholder.

FBR Capital Markets & Co. is serving as sole book-running manager, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Wunderlich Securities, Inc. and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. are serving as lead managers and USCA Securities LLC and Drexel Hamilton, LLC are serving as co-managers of the offering.

The Class A common stock will be issued and sold pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. When available, copies of the prospectus supplement for the offering may be obtained on the website of the Securities and Exchange at www.sec.gov, or by contacting:

FBR Capital Markets & Co.
Attention: Syndicate Prospectus Department
1300 North 17th Street, Suite 1400, Arlington, Virginia 22209
Telephone: 703-312-9726, Email: prospectuses@fbr.com

This press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. The offering of these securities may be made only by means of a prospectus and related prospectus supplement meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 16 states and serves 66 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein that address activities, events, developments or transactions that Spark expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations.

Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:
Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:
Jenn Korell, 281-833-4151

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Source: Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. Announces Launch of Secondary Offering of Class A Common Stock by Selling Stockholder

HOUSTON, March 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spark Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPKE), a Delaware corporation (“Spark”), announced today the launch of an underwritten secondary public offering of 1.5 million shares of its Class A common stock held by Retailco, LLC (the “Selling Stockholder”). The offering is expected to close on April 4, 2016, subject to customary closing conditions.

Spark will not receive any proceeds from the proposed secondary offering. In connection with the offering, the underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 225,000 shares, or 15%, in the offering from the Selling Stockholder.

FBR Capital Markets & Co. is serving as sole book-running manager, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Wunderlich Securities, Inc. and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. are serving as lead managers and USCA Securities LLC and Drexel Hamilton, LLC are serving as co-managers of the offering.

The Class A common stock will be issued and sold pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. When available, copies of the prospectus supplement for the offering may be obtained on the website of the Securities and Exchange at www.sec.gov, or by contacting:

FBR Capital Markets & Co.
Attention: Syndicate Prospectus Department
1300 North 17th Street, Suite 1400, Arlington, Virginia 22209
Telephone: 703-312-9726, Email: prospectuses@fbr.com

This press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. The offering of these securities may be made only by means of a prospectus and related prospectus supplement meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an established and growing independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 16 states and serves 66 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein that address activities, events, developments or transactions that Spark expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations.

 

Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:
Andy Davis, 832-200-3727

Media:
Jenn Korell, 281-833-4151

Primary Logo

Source: Spark Energy, Inc.