UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 4, 2020
Spark Energy, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

					
 	 	 	 	 	
Delaware	 	001-36559	 	46-5453215	
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)	 	(Commission
File Number)	 	(IRS Employer
Identification Number)	

12140 Wickchester Ln, Ste 100
Houston, Texas 77079
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
(713) 600-2600
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

		
¨	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)	
¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)	
¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))	
¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))	

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

						
Title of each class	 	Trading Symbols(s)	 	Name of exchange on which registered	
Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share	 	SPKE	 	The NASDAQ Global Select Market	
8.75% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate
Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share	SPKEP	 	 	The NASDAQ Global Select Market	
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company  ¨
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   ¨

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On March 4, 2020, Spark Energy, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing results for the fourth quarter and year-ended December 31, 2019 (the “Press Release”). The Press Release is being furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference herein.
The information in Item 2.02 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is being “furnished” and not “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and is not incorporated by reference into any registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act, unless specifically identified therein as being incorporated by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits

		
Exhibit No.	Description	
 	 	
99.1	Press Release of Spark Energy, Inc. dated March 4, 2020	

EXHIBIT INDEX

	
		
Exhibit No.	Description	
 	 	
99.1	Press Release of Spark Energy, Inc. dated March 4, 2020	

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: March 5, 2020

			

Spark Energy, Inc.	
 	
By:	 	/s/ James G. Jones II	
Name:	 	James G Jones II	
Title:	 	Chief Financial Officer	

Spark Energy, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019 Financial Results
HOUSTON, March 4, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spark Energy, Inc. ("Spark" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SPKE), an independent retail energy services company, today reported financial results for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Key Business Highlights

•	Recorded $25.7 million in Adjusted EBITDA, $64.3 million in Retail Gross Margin, and $0.7 million in Net Loss for the fourth quarter 2019	
		
•	Recorded $92.4 million in Adjusted EBITDA, $220.7 million in Retail Gross Margin, and $14.2 million in Net Income for the year ended 2019	
		
•	Total RCE count of 672,000 as of December 31, 2019	
		
•	Average monthly attrition of 5.0% for the year ended December 31, 2019	
		
•	Settled several significant legacy litigation items	
		
•	Sold our Japanese joint venture for a pre-tax gain of $4.9 million, not included in Adjusted EBITDA	
		
•	Total liquidity of $138.7 million	
		
•	Approximately 70% of all new sales in 2019 were fully renewable electricity or carbon neutral natural gas	

"2019 was a strong year for Spark and we have continued to improve the quality of our customer book by continuing to shed low margin, large C&I customers. We see the significant increase in unit margins from last year as a result of our winter and summer insurance hedging strategy. With a strong push to simplify our platform in 2019, we completed the final steps of our brand and system consolidations and achieved our goal of G&A run-rate savings. Despite record price volatility in ERCOT this summer, our insurance hedging strategy continues to prove successful supporting our expanded electricity and natural gas unit margins. Earlier in the year we terminated our Tax Receivable Agreement on very favorable terms, amended and extended our senior credit and subordinated debt facilities, and we also resolved four significant litigation and regulatory cases," said Nathan Kroeker, Spark's President and Chief Executive Officer.

Summary Fourth Quarter 2019 Financial Results

For the quarter ended December 31, 2019, Spark reported Adjusted EBITDA of $25.7 million compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $20.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2018. This increase was primarily due to the higher Retail Gross Margin partially offset by lower customer counts.
For the quarter ended December 31, 2019, Spark reported Retail Gross Margin of $64.3 million compared to Retail Gross Margin of $50.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2018. This increase is due to electricity unit margins and volumes returning to normal after a downturn in 2018, offset by lower customer counts.
Net loss for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, was $0.7 million, heavily impacted by mark to market losses in the last few days of the year, driven by a warm front at year end in our primary markets. This compares to a net loss of $15.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2018.

Summary Full Year 2019 Financial Results
For the year ended December 31, 2019, Spark reported Adjusted EBITDA of $92.4 million compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $70.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily due to higher Retail Gross Margin despite an increase in G&A related to non-recurring litigation settlements, bad debt and legal fees.
For the year ended December 31, 2019, Spark reported Retail Gross Margin of $220.7 million compared to Retail Gross Margin of $185.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily due to higher electricity unit margins, offset by a smaller customer counts.
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2019, was $14.2 million compared to net loss of $(14.4) million for the year ended December 31, 2018, driven by higher retail gross margins, effective summer hedging, and the gain on sale of our joint venture in Japan.
Liquidity and Capital Resources

				
 	December 31,	
($ in thousands)	2019	
Cash and cash equivalents	$	56,664	 	
Senior Credit Facility Availability (1)	57,068	 	
Subordinated Debt Facility Availability (2)	25,000	 	
Total Liquidity	$	138,732	 	
(1)     Reflects amount of Letters of Credit that could be issued based on existing covenants as of December 31, 2019.
(2)    The availability of the Subordinated Debt Facility is dependent on our Founder's financial position and ability to lend.
Dividend
Spark’s Board of Directors declared quarterly dividends of $0.18125 per share of Class A common stock payable on March 16, 2020, and $0.546875 per share of Series A Preferred Stock payable on April 15, 2020.
Conference Call and Webcast
Spark will host a conference call to discuss fourth quarter and full year 2019 results on Thursday, March 5, 2020, 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 https://ir.sparkenergy.com/events-and-presentations. 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 19 states and serves 94 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.
We use our website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Investors should note that new materials, including press releases, updated investor presentations, and financial and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are posted on the Spark Energy Investor Relations website at ir.sparkenergy.com. Investors are urged to monitor our website regularly for information and updates about the Company.

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 forward-looking 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,” “projects,” or other similar words. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this earnings 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 earnings 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 earnings release and the related earnings call are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors that 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	
		
•	the sufficiency of risk management and hedging policies and practices;	
		
•	the impact of extreme and unpredictable weather conditions, including hurricanes and other natural disasters;	
		
•	federal, state and local regulation, including the industry's ability to address or adapt to potentially restrictive new regulations that may be enacted by public utility commissions;	
		
•	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;	
		
•	changes in costs to acquire customers and actual attrition rates;	
		
•	accuracy of billing systems;	
		
•	ability to successfully identify, complete, and efficiently integrate acquisitions into our operations;	
		
•	significant changes in, or new changes by, the ISOs in the regions we operate;	
		
•	competition; and	
		
•	the “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in our quarterly reports, other public filings and press releases.	
All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this earnings 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.

further discussion.

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2019 AND DECEMBER 31, 2018
(in thousands, except share counts)

	
										
 	December 31, 2019	 	 	December 31, 2018	
Assets	 	 	 	 	
Current assets:	 	 	 	 	
Cash and cash equivalents	$	56,664		 	 	 	$	41,002	 	
Restricted cash	1,004	 	 	 	 	8,636	 	
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,797 and $3,353 as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively	113,635	 	 	 	 	150,866	 	
Accounts receivable—affiliates	2,032	 	 	 	 	2,558	 	
Inventory	2,954	 	 	 	 	3,878	 	
Fair value of derivative assets	464	 	 	 	 	7,289	 	
Customer acquisition costs, net	8,649	 	 	 	 	14,431	 	
Customer relationships, net	13,607	 	 	 	 	16,630	 	
Deposits	6,806	 	 	 	 	9,226	 	
Renewable energy credit asset	24,204	 	 	 	 	25,717	 	
Other current assets	6,109	 	 	 	 	11,747	 	
Total current assets	236,128	 	 	 	 	291,980	 	
Property and equipment, net	3,267	 	 	 	 	4,366	 	
Fair value of derivative assets	106	 	 	 	 	3,276	 	
Customer acquisition costs, net	9,845	 	 	 	 	3,893	 	
Customer relationships, net	17,767	 	 	 	 	26,429	 	
Deferred tax assets	29,865	 	 	 	 	27,321	 	
Goodwill	120,343	 	 	 	 	120,343	 	
Other assets	5,647	 	 	 	 	11,130	 	
Total Assets	$	422,968		 	 	 	$	488,738	 	
Liabilities, Series A Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity	 	 	 	 	
Current liabilities:	 	 	 	 	
Accounts payable	$	48,245		 	 	 	$	68,790	 	
Accounts payable—affiliates	1,009	 	 	 	 	2,464	 	
Accrued liabilities	37,941	 	 	 	 	10,845	 	
Renewable energy credit liability	33,120	 	 	 	 	42,805	 	
Fair value of derivative liabilities	19,943	 	 	 	 	6,478	 	
Current payable pursuant to tax receivable agreement—affiliates	—	 	 	 	 	1,658	 	
Current contingent consideration for acquisitions	—	 	 	 	 	1,328	 	
Current portion of note payable	—	 	 	 	 	6,936	 	
Other current liabilities	1,697	 	 	 	 	647	 	
Total current liabilities	141,955	 	 	 	 	141,951	 	
Long-term liabilities:	 	 	 	 	
Fair value of derivative liabilities	495	 	 	 	 	106	 	
Payable pursuant to tax receivable agreement—affiliates	—	 	 	 	 	25,917	 	
Long-term portion of Senior Credit Facility	123,000	 	 	 	 	129,500	 	
Subordinated debt—affiliate	—	 	 	 	 	10,000	 	
Other long-term liabilities	217	 	 	 	 	212	 	
Total liabilities	265,667	 	 	 	 	307,686	 	
Commitments and contingencies (Note 14)	 	 	 	 	
Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, 20,000,000 shares authorized, 3,707,256 shares issued and 3,677,318 shares outstanding at December 31, 2019 and 3,707,256 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018	90,015	 	 	 	 	90,758	 	
Stockholders' equity:	 	 	 	 	
Common Stock :	 	 	 	 	
Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 120,000,000 shares authorized, 14,478,999 issued and 14,379,553 outstanding at December 31, 2019 and 14,178,284 issued and 14,078,838 outstanding at December 31, 2018	145	 	 	 	 	142	 	
Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 60,000,000 shares authorized, 20,800,000 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019 and 20,800,000 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018	209	 	 	 	 	209	 	
Additional paid-in capital	51,842	 	 	 	 	46,157	 	
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss)/income	(40	 	)	 	 	2	 	
Retained earnings	1,074	 	 	 	 	1,307	 	
Treasury stock, at cost, 99,446 shares at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018	(2,011	 	)	 	 	(2,011	)	
Total stockholders' equity	51,219	 	 	 	 	45,806	 	
Non-controlling interest in Spark HoldCo, LLC	16,067	 	 	 	 	44,488	 	
Total equity	67,286	 	 	 	 	90,294	 	
Total Liabilities, Series A Preferred Stock and stockholders' equity	$	422,968		 	 	 	$	488,738	 	

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPRIHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017
(in thousands, except per share data)

															
 	Year Ended December 31,	
 	2019	 	2018	 	2017	
Revenues:	 	 	 	 	 	
Retail revenues	$	810,954		 	 	$	1,001,417		 	 	$	798,772		 	
Net asset optimization revenues (expense)	2,771	 	 	 	4,511	 	 	 	(717	 	)	
Total revenues	813,725	 	 	 	1,005,928	 	 	 	798,055	 	 	
Operating expenses:	 	 	 	 	 	
Retail cost of revenues	615,225	 	 	 	845,493	 	 	 	552,167	 	 	
General and administrative	133,534	 	 	 	111,431	 	 	 	101,127	 	 	
Depreciation and amortization	40,987	 	 	 	52,658	 	 	 	42,341	 	 	
Total operating expenses	789,746	 	 	 	1,009,582	 	 	 	695,635	 	 	
Operating income (loss)	23,979	 	 	 	(3,654	 	)	 	102,420	 	 	
Other (expense)/income:	 	 	 	 	 	
Interest expense	(8,621	 	)	 	(9,410	 	)	 	(11,134	 	)	
Change in tax receivable agreement liability	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	 	22,267	 	 	
Gain on disposal of eRex	4,862	 	 	 	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	
Total other income/(expense)	1,250	 	 	 	749	 	 	 	256	 	 	
Total other (expense)/income	(2,509	 	)	 	(8,661	 	)	 	11,389	 	 	
Income (loss) before income tax expense	21,470	 	 	 	(12,315	 	)	 	113,809	 	 	
Income tax expense	7,257	 	 	 	2,077	 	 	 	38,765	 	 	
Net income (loss)	$	14,213		 	 	$	(14,392		)	 	$	75,044		 	
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	5,763	 	 	 	(13,206	 	)	 	55,799	 	 	
Net income (loss) attributable to Spark Energy, Inc. stockholders	$	8,450		 	 	$	(1,186		)	 	$	19,245		 	
Less: Dividend on Series A preferred stock	8,091	 	 	 	8,109	 	 	 	3,038	 	 	
Net income (loss) attributable to stockholders of Class A common stock	$	359		 	 	$	(9,295		)	 	$	16,207		 	
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax:	 	 	 	 	 	
Currency translation (loss) gain	(102	 	)	 	31	 	 	 	(59	 	)	
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(102	 	)	 	31	 	 	 	(59	 	)	
Comprehensive income (loss)	$	14,111		 	 	$	(14,361		)	 	$	74,985		 	
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	5,703	 	 	 	(13,188	 	)	 	55,762	 	 	
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Spark Energy, Inc. stockholders	$	8,408		 	 	$	(1,173		)	 	$	19,223		 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
Net income (loss) attributable to Spark Energy, Inc. per share of Class A common stock	 	 	 	 	 	
Basic	$	0.03		 	 	$	(0.69		)	 	$	1.23		 	
Diluted	$	0.02		 	 	$	(0.69		)	 	$	1.21		 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
Weighted average shares of Class A common stock outstanding	 	 	 	 	 	
Basic	14,286	 	 	 	13,390	 	 	 	13,143	 	 	
Diluted	14,568	 	 	 	13,390	 	 	 	13,346	 	 	

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2018 AND 2017
(in thousands)

															
 	Year Ended December 31,	
 	2019	 	2018	 	2017	
Cash flows from operating activities:	 	 	 	 	 	
Net income (loss)	$	14,213		 	 	$	(14,392		)	 	$	75,044		 	
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows provided by operating activities:	 	 	 	 	 	
Depreciation and amortization expense	41,002	 	 	 	51,436	 	 	 	42,666	 	 	
Deferred income taxes	(6,929	 	)	 	(2,328	 	)	 	29,821	 	 	
Change in TRA liability	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	 	(22,267	 	)	
Stock based compensation	5,487	 	 	 	5,879	 	 	 	5,058	 	 	
Amortization of deferred financing costs	1,275	 	 	 	1,291	 	 	 	1,035	 	 	
Change in fair value of earnout liabilities	(1,328	 	)	 	(1,715	 	)	 	(7,898	 	)	
Accretion on fair value of earnout liabilities	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	 	4,108	 	 	
Excess tax expense (benefit) related to restricted stock vesting	50	 	 	 	(101	 	)	 	179	 	 	
Bad debt expense	13,532	 	 	 	10,135	 	 	 	6,550	 	 	
Loss (gain) on derivatives, net	67,749	 	 	 	18,170	 	 	 	(5,008	 	)	
Current period cash settlements on derivatives, net	(41,919	 	)	 	11,038	 	 	 	(19,598	 	)	
Accretion of discount to convertible subordinated notes to affiliate	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	 	1,004	 	 	
Earnout payments	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	 	(1,781	 	)	
Gain on disposal of eRex	(4,862	 	)	 	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	
Other	(776	 	)	 	(882	 	)	 	(5	 	)	
Changes in assets and liabilities:	 	 	 	 	 	
Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable	23,699	 	 	 	2,692	 	 	 	(32,361	 	)	
Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable—affiliates	526	 	 	 	859	 	 	 	(1,459	 	)	
Decrease (increase) in inventory	924	 	 	 	674	 	 	 	(718	 	)	
Increase in customer acquisition costs	(18,685	 	)	 	(13,673	 	)	 	(25,874	 	)	
Decrease (increase) in prepaid and other current assets	9,250	 	 	 	(14,033	 	)	 	1,915	 	 	
Decrease (increase) in other assets	55	 	 	 	(335	 	)	 	(465	 	)	
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(8,620	 	)	 	10,301	 	 	 	14,831	 	 	
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable—affiliates	(1,455	 	)	 	(2,158	 	)	 	51	 	 	
Decrease in other current liabilities	(1,459	 	)	 	(3,050	 	)	 	(1,210	 	)	
Increase (decrease) in other non-current liabilities	6	 	 	 	41	 	 	 	(1,487	 	)	
Decrease in intangible assets—customer acquisitions	—	 	 	 	(86	 	)	 	—	 	 	
Net cash provided by operating activities	91,735	 	 	 	59,763	 	 	 	62,131	 	 	
Cash flows from investing activities:	 	 	 	 	 	
Purchases of property and equipment	(1,120	 	)	 	(1,429	 	)	 	(1,704	 	)	
Cash paid for acquisitions	—	 	 	 	(17,552	 	)	 	(75,854	 	)	
Acquisition of Starion Customers	(5,913	 	)	 	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	
Disposal of eRex investment	8,431	 	 	 	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	1,398	 	 	 	(18,981	 	)	 	(77,558	 	)	
Cash flows from financing activities:	 	 	 	 	 	
Proceeds from (buyback) issuance of Series A Preferred Stock, net of issuance costs paid	(743	 	)	 	48,490	 	 	 	40,241	 	 	
Payment to affiliates for acquisition of customer book	(10	 	)	 	(7,129	 	)	 	—	 	 	
Borrowings on notes payable	356,000	 	 	 	417,300	 	 	 	206,400	 	 	
Payments on notes payable	(362,500	 	)	 	(403,050	 	)	 	(152,939	 	)	
Earnout Payments	—	 	 	 	(1,607	 	)	 	(18,418	 	)	
Net paydown on subordinated debt facility	(10,000	 	)	 	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	
Payments on the Verde promissory note	(2,036	 	)	 	(13,422	 	)	 	—	 	 	
Restricted stock vesting	(1,348	 	)	 	(2,895	 	)	 	(3,091	 	)	
Proceeds from disgorgement of stockholders short-swing profits	55	 	 	 	244	 	 	 	1,129	 	 	
Payment of Tax Receivable Agreement Liability	(11,239	 	)	 	(6,219	 	)	 	—	 	 	
Payment of dividends to Class A common stockholders	(10,382	 	)	 	(9,783	 	)	 	(9,519	 	)	
Payment of distributions to non-controlling unitholders	(34,794	 	)	 	(35,478	 	)	 	(33,800	 	)	
Payment of Preferred Stock dividends	(8,106	 	)	 	(7,014	 	)	 	(2,106	 	)	
Purchase of Treasury Stock	—	 	 	 	—	 	 	 	(2,011	 	)	

	
															
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(85,103	 	)	 	(20,563	 	)	 	25,886	 	 	
Increase in Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted Cash	8,030	 	 	 	20,219	 	 	 	10,459	 	 	
Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash—beginning of period	49,638	 	 	 	29,419	 	 	 	18,960	 	 	
Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash—end of period	$	57,668		 	 	$	49,638		 	 	$	29,419		 	
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:	 	 	 	 	 	
Non-cash items:	 	 	 	 	 	
Property and equipment purchase accrual	$	92		 	 	$	(123		)	 	$	91		 	
Holdback for Verde Note—Indemnified Matters	$	4,900		 	 	$	—		 	 	$	—		 	
Write-off of tax benefit related to tax receivable agreement liability—affiliates	$	4,384		 	 	$	—		 	 	$	—		 	
Gain on settlement of tax receivable agreement liability—affiliates	$	16,336		 	 	$	—		 	 	$	—		 	
Net contribution by NG&E in excess of cash	$	—		 	 	$	—		 	 	$	274		 	
Installment consideration incurred in connection with the Verde Companies acquisition and Verde Earnout Termination Note	$	—		 	 	$	—		 	 	$	19,994		 	
Tax benefit from tax receivable agreement	$	—		 	 	$	(1,508		)	 	$	(1,802		)	
Liability due to tax receivable agreement	$	—		 	 	$	1,642		 	 	$	4,674		 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
Cash paid during the period for:	 	 	 	 	 	
Interest	$	6,634		 	 	$	7,883		 	 	$	5,715		 	
Taxes	$	7,516		 	 	$	8,561		 	 	$	11,205		 	

SPARK ENERGY, INC.
OPERATING SEGMENT RESULTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017
(in thousands, except per unit operating data)
(unaudited)

												
 	Year Ended December 31,	
 	2019	 	2018	 	2017	
 	(in thousands, except volume and per unit operating data)	
Retail Electricity Segment	 	 	 	 	 	
Total Revenues	$	688,451	 	 	$	863,451	 	 	$	657,566	 	
Retail Cost of Revenues	552,250	 	 	762,771	 	 	477,012	 	
Less: Net (Losses) Gains on non-trading derivatives, net of cash settlements	(24,339	)	 	(23,988	)	 	22,086	 	
Retail Gross Margin (1) —Electricity	$	160,540	 	 	$	124,668	 	 	$	158,468	 	
Volumes—Electricity (MWhs)	6,416,568	 	 	8,630,653	 	 	6,755,663	 	
Retail Gross Margin (2) —Electricity per MWh	$	25.02	 	 	$	14.44	 	 	$	23.46	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
Retail Natural Gas Segment	 	 	 	 	 	
Total Revenues	$	122,503	 	 	$	137,966	 	 	$	141,206	 	
Retail Cost of Revenues	62,975	 	 	82,722	 	 	75,155	 	
Less: Net (Losses) Gains on non-trading derivatives, net of cash settlements	(672	)	 	(5,197	)	 	10	 	
Retail Gross Margin (1) —Gas	$	60,200	 	 	$	60,441	 	 	$	66,041	 	
Volumes—Gas (MMBtus)	14,543,563	 	 	16,778,393	 	 	18,203,684	 	
Retail Gross Margin (2) —Gas per MMBtu	$	4.14	 	 	$	3.60	 	 	$	3.63	 	
(1) Reflects the Retail Gross Margin attributable to our Retail Electricity Segment or Retail Natural Gas Segment, as applicable. Retail Gross Margin is a non-GAAP financial measure. See “—Non-GAAP Performance Measures” for a reconciliation of Retail Gross Margin to most directly comparable financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP.
(2) Reflects the Retail Gross Margin for the Retail Electricity Segment or Retail Natural Gas Segment, as applicable, divided by the total volumes in MWh or MMBtu, respectively.

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, plus or minus (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 and non-recurring operating items. EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) before the 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 and amortize such costs over two years. We do not deduct the cost of customer acquisitions through acquisitions of businesses or portfolios of customers in calculating Adjusted EBITDA.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 these instruments. We also deduct non-cash compensation expense that results from the issuance of restricted stock units under our long-term incentive plan due to the non-cash nature of the expense. Finally, we also adjust from time to time other non-cash or unusual and/or infrequent charges due to either their non-cash nature or their infrequency.
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 our

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 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;	
		
•	our ability to fund capital expenditures (including customer acquisition costs) and incur and service debt; and	
		
•	our compliance with financial debt covenants	

Retail Gross Margin
We define retail gross margin as operating income (loss) 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 (loss), its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.
We believe retail gross margin provides information useful to investors as an indicator of our retail energy business's operating performance.
The GAAP measures most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA are net income (loss) and net cash provided by operating activities. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Retail Gross Margin is operating income (loss). Our non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and Retail Gross Margin should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss), net cash provided by operating activities, or operating income (loss). 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 (loss) 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)

																	
 	Year Ended December 31,	 	Quarter Ended December 31,	
(in thousands)	2019	 	2018	 	2019	2018	
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income (Loss):	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Net income (loss)	$	14,213	 	 	$	(14,392		)	 	$	(724	)	$	(15,315		)	
Depreciation and amortization	40,987	 	 	52,658	 	 	 	9,024	 	12,861	 	 	
Interest expense	8,621	 	 	9,410	 	 	 	2,229	 	2,087	 	 	
Income tax expense	7,257	 	 	2,077	 	 	 	4,235	 	1,475	 	 	
EBITDA	71,078	 	 	49,753	 	 	 	14,764	 	1,108	 	 	
Less:	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Net, (Losses) gains on derivative instruments	(67,749	)	 	(18,170	 	)	 	(25,059	)	(16,799	 	)	
Net, Cash settlements on derivative instruments	42,820	 	 	(10,587	 	)	 	9,305	 	(4,764	 	)	
Customer acquisition costs	18,685	 	 	13,673	 	 	 	5,077	 	4,724	 	 	
Plus:	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Non-cash compensation expense	5,487	 	 	5,879	 	 	 	1,433	 	2,172	 	 	
Non-recurring legal and regulatory settlements	14,457	 	 	—	 	 	 	3,650	 	—	 	 	
Gain on disposal of eRex	(4,862	)	 	—	 	 	 	(4,862	)	—	 	 	
Adjusted EBITDA	$	92,404	 	 	$	70,716		 	 	$	25,662	 	$	20,119		 	

	
															
 	Year Ended December 31,	 	Quarter Ended December 31,	
(in thousands)	2019	 	2018	 	2019	2018	
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net cash provided by operating activities:	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	91,735	 	 	$	59,763	 	 	$	14,650	 	$	17,910	 	
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(1,275	)	 	(1,291	)	 	(273	)	(48	)	
Bad debt expense	(13,532	)	 	(10,135	)	 	(4,347	)	(1,655	)	
Interest expense	8,621	 	 	9,410	 	 	2,229	 	2,087	 	
Income tax expense	7,257	 	 	2,077	 	 	4,235	 	1,475	 	
Changes in operating working capital	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Accounts receivable, prepaids, current assets	(33,475	)	 	10,482	 	 	16,883	 	20,122	 	
Inventory	(924	)	 	(674	)	 	(626	)	(199	)	
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	11,534	 	 	(5,093	)	 	(18,675	)	(23,081	)	
Other	22,463	 	 	6,177	 	 	11,586	 	3,508	 	
Adjusted EBITDA	$	92,404	 	 	$	70,716	 	 	$	25,662	 	$	20,119	 	
Cash Flow Data:	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Cash flows provided by operating activities	$	91,735	 	 	$	59,763	 	 	$	14,650	 	$	17,910	 	
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities	$	1,398	 	 	$	(18,981	)	 	$	7,888	 	$	4,712	 	
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities	$	(85,103	)	 	$	(20,563	)	 	$	(8,452	)	$	(15,780	)	

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)

															
 	Year Ended December 31,	 	Quarter Ended December 31,	
(in thousands)	2019	 	2018	 	2019	2018	
Reconciliation of Retail Gross Margin to Operating Income (Loss):	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Operating income (loss)	$	23,979	 	 	$	(3,654	)	 	$	633	 	$	(11,795	)	
Plus:	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Depreciation and amortization	40,987	 	 	52,658	 	 	9,024	 	12,861	 	
General and administrative expense	133,534	 	 	111,431	 	 	39,182	 	27,909	 	
Less:	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Net asset optimization revenue (expense)	2,771	 	 	4,511	 	 	529	 	713	 	
(Losses) gains on non-trading derivative instruments	(67,955	)	 	(19,571	)	 	(25,214	)	(17,348	)	
Cash settlements on non-trading derivative instruments	42,944	 	 	(9,614	)	 	9,267	 	(4,560	)	
Retail Gross Margin	$	220,740	 	 	$	185,109	 	 	$	64,257	 	$	50,170	 	
Retail Gross Margin - Retail Electricity Segment	$	160,540	 	 	$	124,668	 	 	$	43,810	 	$	32,055	 	
Retail Gross Margin - Retail Natural Gas Segment	$	60,200	 	 	$	60,441	 	 	$	20,447	 	$	18,115	 	

Contact: Spark Energy, Inc.
Investors:
Mike Barajas, 832-200-3727
Media:
Kira Jordan, 832-255-7302