Tag Archives: opinion

Now May Be A Good Time To Invest In High Quality Stocks – Here’s Why

To someone like me who has a long-held belief in the efficacy of value investing, the idea of investing in “quality” seems counterintuitive. After all, what makes value investing provide excess returns if not the “yuck factor” that causes investors to underprice value stocks? On the surface, quality investing seems to be the opposite of value investing. However, many famous investors include some notion of quality in their investing criteria, including some value investors. Warren Buffett has cited good returns on equity, consistent earnings power, and low debt as elements that he considers, and is famous for saying that “it is far better to buy a wonderful business at a fair price than to buy a fair business at a wonderful price.” Over the past several years, academic researchers have been finding that quality matters, both as a stand-alone factor and in conjunction with other factors, particularly value. For example, in an influential paper entitled ” Quality Minus Junk ,” AQR’s Asness, Frazzini and Pedersen (2014) found that “a quality minus junk (QMJ) factor that goes long high-quality stocks and shorts low-quality stocks earns significant risk-adjusted returns in the U.S. and across 24 countries.” Their definition of quality involves quite a number of attributes, including profitability, growth, safety, and payout. In a widely cited 2012 paper , Novy-Marx found that a relatively simple measure of quality, gross profits to assets, provided “roughly the same power as book-to-market predicting the cross-section of average returns.” (Book-to-market is perhaps the most widely recognized value factor.) Kozlov and Petajisto (2013) describe high earnings quality as “one of the most robust long-term patterns documented in the literature (e.g., Sloan , 1996, and Fama and French , 2008).” Studying the period 1988 to 2012, they found that quality had a higher Sharpe ratio (0.69) than either value (0.56) or the market (0.25). Using a composite quality factor combining profitability, accruals, and leverage, they found that after controlling for market, size, and value (the Fama-French three-factor risk model), a long-short alpha of 7.8% per year was achieved. Impressive results. Theories to explain why high-quality stocks offer investors excess risk-adjusted returns vary. Novy-Marx describes quality investing as “the other side of value” in that both value investors and quality investors seek to acquire assets undervalued by other investors. Value investors count on the fact that the poor profitability of value firms tends to mean-revert to some extent over time. Quality investors count on the superior profitability of quality firms to persist, and profit from the fact that investors tend to underappreciate, and underprice, high quality firms. The growing popularity of quality as a factor is reflected in the success of several ETFs that use various measures of quality as the focus of their portfolio construction. Of those focused on the U.S. stock market, the largest and most liquid include: PowerShares S&P 500 High Quality Portfolio (NYSEARCA: SPHQ ) iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (NYSEARCA: QUAL ) Market Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (NYSEARCA: MOAT ) This paper will focus on SPHQ because, at least at present, it is my preferred quality factor play. While QUAL is the largest and most liquid of the three, it uses a sector-neutral index. Although in a sense that makes it a “purer” play on quality, in my opinion, by neutralizing the sector tilts that would otherwise result, the quality effect is somewhat diluted. MOAT takes its strategy from the Warren Buffett philosophy of buying companies with a “wide moat” that protects the corporation’s franchise value. This factor is a variation on quality, certainly, but I find that the underlying index upon which the ETF is based has not generated as much alpha (defined below) as that of SPHQ. My methodology for analyzing an ETF focuses on its underlying benchmark index, which often has a much longer history than the live ETF performance record. (I use only passively managed ETFs that adhere closely to their benchmark indexes.) By subtracting the expense ratio from the historical return of the index, I can create a set of pro-forma ETF returns that are an excellent representation of how the ETF would have performed back in time. This provides much more data with which to analyze the risks and evaluate the risk-adjusted returns of an ETF. This methodology is also particularly handy when an ETF changes its benchmark index, as SPHQ is planning to do. As of March 18, 2016, the underlying index for SPHQ will change from the S&P 500 High Quality Rankings Index (Bloomberg: SPXQRUT) to the S&P 500 Quality Index (Bloomberg: SPXQUT). This means that the actual live performance history of SPHQ is of limited value in predicting how it will behave in the future: the past performance of the new index is much more valuable. The “old” index is based upon the time-honored S&P Quality Rankings System, which has been around since 1956. S&P’s methodology document does not offer much detail, but simply states that the Quality Rankings System “attempts to capture the growth and stability of earnings and the dividends record” over a 10-year period, adjusted “for changes in the rate of growth, stability within long-term trends and cyclicality.” Got that? The obfuscation probably indicates that the actual details of the methodology have evolved over the past 60 years. The “new” index is much more transparent. The methodology document says that the new quality score “is calculated based on three fundamental measures, return on equity, accruals ratio and financial leverage ratio.” The three fundamental ratios are defined as follows: • Return on Equity (ROE). This is calculated as a company’s trailing 12-month earnings per share divided by its latest book value per share. • Accruals Ratio. This is computed using the change of a company’s net operating assets over the last year divided by its average net operating assets over the last two years. • Financial Leverage Ratio. This is calculated as a company’s latest total debt divided by its book value. By the way, two of these three attributes, ROE and leverage, are the same attributes that QUAL uses in its definition of quality. The third QUAL attribute, earnings variability, makes it somewhat similar to the “old” S&P Quality Ranking. By using accruals as its third factor, the new SPHQ will be tied more closely to the work of Sloan (1996) among others, showing that investors systematically over-emphasize the accrual components of GAAP earnings and under-emphasize the cash components, which are much more sustainable. This may help explain why the historical alpha of the index (defined below) is so high. My analysis of the risk-adjusted returns for SPHQ’s new benchmark index starts by measuring the sensitivity of its returns to four risk factors that capture much of the risk common to most ETFs: Stock market risk (MKT), as measured by the S&P 500 Index Bond market risk (LTB), as measured by the 10 Year Treasury Benchmark Index Currency risk (DLR), as measured by the U.S. Dollar Index Commodity risk (OIL), as measured by the West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil Index Click to enlarge SPHQ’s new index goes back to December 31, 1994, but I need some history in order to estimate its risk factor sensitivities (often called betas) using exponentially weighted multiple regressions. Consequently, the graph above starts on December 31, 2000. Of the four risk factors, equity market beta (labeled MKT in red) is its only consistently significant risk factor sensitivity. Its historical equity market sensitivity has generally been between 70% and 100% (or a beta of .7 to 1.0) which is about as I would have predicted. The other three risk factors are not consistently significant, but interest rate sensitivity (LTB) does pop up occasionally. The next graph (below) tracks the cumulative return of SPHQ’s new index (in black), and disaggregates it into return due to each of the four risk factor sensitivities and residual return, which is what I call “alpha.” Most of the index’s return is explained by its equity market sensitivity (red), as expected for an index with a MKT sensitivity of 70% to 100%. (To calculate the return from MKT sensitivity, I multiply the index’s previous month-end MKT sensitivity times the monthly price return of the S&P 500. I use the same methodology for the other three risk factors.) The residual return (orange) is the total return minus the return from the four risk factor sensitivities. Residual return, or alpha, is what I want to maximize in my portfolios. Click to enlarge SPHQ’s new index has generated an average alpha of about 3.17% per year since 2000, with a standard deviation of 3.68%, and a return/risk ratio of 0.86. Those are very impressive statistics for a single factor portfolio. Even if my estimates of MKT beta are too low, using a MKT beta of 1.00 would still result in an average alpha of 1.88% per year. Most ETFs, and their benchmark indexes, have no discernible alpha: their return is entirely explained by risk factor sensitivities. Both the power of and the persistence of the risk-adjusted excess return for SPHQ’s new benchmark index are impressive. To be sure, there is a risk that some of the historical alpha is a random artifact of the time period tested. Also, there is some risk that the construction of the index was influenced to some extent by “what worked” over this time period. Even if the good people at S&P were only following the academic literature, the academic researchers themselves are no doubt somewhat guilty of “data snooping,” since that is a bias that no one can completely escape. Academic researchers read the research of others and are thus influenced by that information. However, S&P is applying the same Quality Index methodology not only to the S&P 500, but also to 15 other headline indexes around the world, which somewhat reduces the risk that it was unduly influenced by “what worked” for the S&P 500 alone. Also, based on my research, there seems to be no indication that the quality factor has become so popular that its valuation is stretched. (By comparison, for example, the low volatility factor seems to have been bid up to the point where some caution is warranted.) Finally, my research indicates that returns to the quality factor are positively associated with equity market volatility, which has been higher than average and may provide a bit of a boost to the return of the quality factor. Historically speaking, the later stages of bull markets have been good times to emphasize quality. In short, now may be a good time to invest in quality, and SPHQ is a good way to do it. Disclosure: I am/we are long SPHQ, QUAL, MOAT. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Additional disclosure: My long and short positions change frequently, so I make no assurances about my future positions, long or short. The information contained in this article has been prepared with reasonable care using sources that are assumed to be reliable, but I make no representation or warranty regarding accuracy. This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal, tax, securities, or investment advice. You should discuss your individual legal, tax, and investment situation with professional advisors.

ETF Update: February May Have Started Slow, But It Finished With A Flood

Welcome back to the SA ETF Update. My goal is to keep Seeking Alpha readers up to date on the ETF universe and to gain some visibility, both for the ETF community and for me as its editor (so users know who to approach with issues, article ideas, to become a contributor, etc.). Every weekend, or every other weekend (depending on the reader response and submission volumes), we will highlight fund launches and closures for the week, as well as any news items that could impact ETF investors. Before we jump into what happened in the ETF industry in the last three weeks, I wanted to bring up an opportunity for authors, and potential authors, who are looking to learn more about the writing process and improve their craft. My colleague, Rocco Pendola , is currently running The Seeking Alpha Author Experience , an information series to further the partnership between Seeking Alpha and our contributors. In his own words: Our goal is to provide an unprecedented resource for author success and, more specifically, one that helps writers reach and keep expanding the boundaries of their individual potential. As a writer, you have personal style, your own voice and analytical and rhetorical ways you go about helping other investors. We’re not here to change that. We simply want to A) help you optimize your approach, B) share what we have seen work from a broad and diverse sample of techniques and C) be here to answer questions and concerns you have related to the best ways to get your message across to investors. I’ve had a number of contributors and new authors reach out to me because of the ETF Update series, and I imagine there are more of you who would be interested in contributing but have questions about the process. If interested in learning more, use the form at the following link to sign up for The Seeking Alpha Author Experience . Rocco sends all Author Experience materials out in installations via email, so while part of a community of contributors, you can receive one-on-one attention simply by clicking “reply.” You will receive no more than one email per day. I have been reading along and really enjoy his insights, so if you are looking to learn more about writing and contributing to Seeking Alpha I would highly recommend signing up. Now back to the regularly scheduled ETF content. While the first two weeks of the month only saw four launches , the month ended with 11 more. Markets also started to show signs of life again in mid-February, which is good news for ETFs looking to attach investors. As we have a lot to catch up on and there any many others on this platform covering the broader picture, lets jump right in! Fund launches for the week of February 15th, 2016 UBS (NYSE: UBS ) launches the first of many ETFs (2/16): The UBS AG FI Enhanced Europe 50 ETN (NYSEARCA: FIEE ) was the first of 3 launches from ETRACs, the ETF division of UBS, over a week. FIEE is an exchange traded note linked to the performance of STOXX Europe 50 USD (Gross Return) Index, the largest blue-chip stocks in the STOXX Europe 600. The 3 largest holdings are Nestle ( OTCPK:NSRGF ), Novartis (NYSE: NVS ) and Roche ( OTCQX:RHHBY ), all Swiss companies like UBS. UBS’s second launch of the week (2/18): The ETRACS S&P GSCI Crude Oil Total Return Index ETN (NYSEARCA: OILX ) “reflects the excess returns that are potentially available through an unleveraged investment in the contracts comprising the index, plus the Treasury Bill rate of interest that could be earned on funds committed to the trading of the underlying contracts,” according to a press release at its launch. This is not a new product idea, but with an expense ratio of 0.50% OILX is able to undercut the existing competition. ProShares gives its futures strategy ETF another chance (2/18): Later in March ProShares will be shutting down a couple funds that never found traction in the market, including the ProShares Managed Futures Strategy (NYSEARCA: FUTS ). However, in preparation of this closing, ProShares launched the ProShares Managed Futures Strategy ETF (BATS: FUT ), which is a new and improved version of FUTS. The fund structure has been updated in a number of ways, but the largest change in my opinion is that investors no longer need to fill out a K-1 form, which could have been a sticking point for the lack of interest before. For further analysis on FUT please read ” ProShares Re-Configures Its Managed Futures ETF Effort ” by Brian Haskin. Fund launches for the week of February 22nd, 2016 UBS wraps up a busy week with a high yield ETN (2/22): And for UBS’s final launch in February, the UBS AG FI Enhanced Global High Yield ETN (NYSEARCA: FIHD ). This fund, designed for Fisher Investments, tracks the MSCI World High Dividend Yield USD Gross Total Return Index. This makes FIHD very similar to the Barclays ETN+ FI Enhanced Global High Yield ETN (NYSEARCA: FIGY ), which tracks the same index and was also created for Fisher Investments. Pacer Financial expands its ETF lineup (2/23): For Pacer’s 6th ETF it introduced the Pacer Global High Dividend ETF (BATS: PGHD ), self described as “a strategy driven exchange traded fund that attempts to provide a continuous stream of income and capital appreciation over time by screening for companies with a high free cash flow yield and a high dividend yield.” By tracking the companies with the highest levels of free cash flow and dividend yields in the FTSE All World Developed Large Cap Index, PGHD hopes to return strong dividends for investors looking for global exposure. For further analysis on PGHD please read ” New High Dividend ETF With Free Cash Flow Focus By Pacer ” by Zacks Funds. Cambria launches a high yield bond ETF (2/23): The Cambria Sovereign High Yield Bond ETF (Pending: SOVB ) seeks return for investors through investing in high risk, high reward bonds either directly or through other exchange-traded products. “Foreign bonds are the largest asset class in the world, yet dramatically underrepresented in investor portfolios,” said Meb Faber , Cambria Chief Investment Officer, in a press release for the fund. “Moving away from a market-cap strategy and employing a value lens to foreign government bonds could help investors gain smarter access to income in a yield-starved environment.” WisdomTree expands in the Put/Write Space (2/24): The WisdomTree CBOE S&P 500 PutWrite Strategy Fund (NYSEARCA: PUTW ) is the company’s first options strategy ETF, offering a collateralized put write strategy on the S&P 500. As described on the fund’s homepage, “the strategy is designed to receive a premium from the option buyer by selling a sequence of one-month, at-the-money, S&P 500 Index puts (SPX puts). If, however, the value of the S&P 500 Index falls below the SPX Put’s strike price, the option finishes in-the-money and the Fund pays the buyer the difference between the strike price and the value of the S&P 500 Index.” For further analysis on PUTW please read ” Finally, Is PUTW The One We’ve Been Waiting For? ” by Reel Ken. Janus adds to ETF offerings (2/25): Open for business today are the Janus Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF (NASDAQ: JSML ) and the Janus Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (NASDAQ: JSMD ). They are the first ETFs to launch since Janus’ (NYSE: JNS ) November 2014 purchase of VelocityShares. Both are what Janus calls Smart Growth ETFs utilizing a systemic process to identify resilient small and mid-cap companies poised for long-run sustainable growth. Janus’ ETP business had about $3.2B in AUM across 17 products as of year-end. Fund launches for the week of February 29th, 2016 Vanguard targets international dividend stocks with new funds (3/2): The company yesterday launched the Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (NASDAQ: VYMI ) and the Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF (NASDAQ: VIGI ). Both ETFs come alongside “investor” and “admiral” classes of mutual funds. VYMI, with a 0.3% expense ratio, tracks the FTSE All-World ex-U.S. High Dividend Yield Index which has more than 800 of the highest-yielding large- and small-cap stocks in both developed and emerging markets. VIGI, with a 0.25% expense ratio, tracks the Nasdaq International Dividend Achievers Select Index, which holds about 200 stocks with long track records of dividend boosts. The funds are international cousins to the $12B Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund (NYSEARCA: VYM ) and the $19B Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund (NYSEARCA: VIG ). The new products also have cheaper fees than the SPDR International Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA: DWX ), which charges 0.45%, and the iShares International Select Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA: IDV ), which charges 0.5%. Goldman boosts ETF lineup (3/4): Goldman Sachs’ (NYSE: GS ) burgeoning ETF operation now offers five funds after the launch of the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta Europe Equity ETF (NYSEMKT: GSEU ) and the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta Japan Equity ETF (NYSEMKT: GSJY ). As with the previous three ETFs which dame to market late last year, the two new funds were opened with institutional assets of $25M each. Each has an expense ratio of 0.25%. Those original three now have more than $1B in combined AUM. In addition, the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta International Equity ETF (NYSEARCA: GSIE ) – which came to market in November – has its fee cut to 0.25% from 0.35% Fund closures for the weeks of February 15st, 22nd and 29th, 2016 Have any other questions on ETFs or ETNs? Please comment below and I will try to clear things up. As an author and editor I have found that constructive feedback is the best way to grow. What you would like to see discussed in the future? How can I improve this series to meet reader needs? Please share your thoughts on this first edition of the ETF Update series in the comments section below. Have a view on something that’s coming up or a new fund? Submit an article. Editor’s Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.

Northwest Natural Gas’ (NWN) CEO Gregg Kantor on Q4 2015 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Operator Good morning and welcome to the Northwest Natural Gas Fourth Quarter Earnings Conference Call. All participants will be in listen-only mode. [Operator Instructions]. After today’s presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. [Operator Instructions]. Please note this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Nikki Sparley, Investor Relations Manager. Please go ahead. Nikki Sparley Thank you, Andrew. Good morning, everyone and welcome to our fourth quarter 2015 earnings call. As a reminder some of the things that will be said this morning contains forward-looking statements. They are based on management’s assumptions, which may or may not come true. You should refer to the language at the end of our press release for the appropriate cautionary statements and also our SEC filings for additional information. We expect to file our 10-K later today. As mentioned, this teleconference is being recorded and will be available on our website following the call. Please note these conference calls are designed for the financial community. If you are an investor and have questions, please contact me directly at (503) 721-2530. Media may contact, Melissa Moore, at (503) 220-2436. Speaking this morning are Gregg Kantor, Chief Executive Officer and Greg Hazelton, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer. Mr. Kantor and Mr. Hazelton have some opening remarks and then will be available to answer your questions. Also joining us today are other members of our executive team, who are available to help answer any questions you may have. With that, I will turn it over to Mr. Kantor for his opening remarks. Gregg S. Kantor Thanks Nikki, good morning everyone and welcome to our fourth quarter and year-end earnings call. I will start today with highlights from the year and then I will turn it over to Greg Hazelton to cover our 2015 financial performance. Finally I will wrap up the call with a look forward. In 2015 Northwest Natural successfully navigated a number of challenges while still achieving our key financial and operational goals. Our financial challenges came early in the year with Oregon experiencing the warmest winter on record. The impact was substantially mitigated by our weather normalization mechanism which has been place since 2003. However, we experienced lower volumes and revenues as about 20% of our customer base is not covered by the mechanism. In addition in February 2015, the Oregon Commission approved a mechanism that allows us to recover, prudently incurred environmental clean-up cost allocated to Oregon associated with our historic manufactured gas operations. We began collection of our environmental expenditures through this mechanism known as the SRM in November of last year. However, as part of the February 2015 order, the OPUC disallowed environmental expenses totaling $15 million based on the application of an earnings test for past years when the company earned above its allowed rate of return. As a result, we took an after tax charge of $9.1 million in the first quarter of 2015. In response to the warm winter and the disallowance, management instituted a number of temporary cost saving measures. Through these targeted efforts we reduced budgeted O&M levels by approximately $5 million or about $0.11 per share. And I am proud of our employees whose hard work and commitment allowed us to accomplish this while still remaining dedicated to exceptional service and safety. Despite the financial headwinds our core utility performance remained solid with higher margin and continued customer growth. Part of this performance stems from the strength of our region’s economy and you can see that strength in a number of trends including in migration and housing growth. Oregon is experiencing strong population gains particularly attracting college educated workers between the age of 25 and 34. In fact Oregon ranks sixth in the nation for in migration of degree holders who are beginning or mid career. These young working age households are considered vital for both regional economic development and longer term growth. In the last year average monthly employment in the Portland Vancouver metro area increased by about 35000 new jobs equating to an annual employment growth rate of 3.2% which exceeded the average national rate by more than 1%. Over the last 12 months the unemployment rate in the Portland and surrounding metro areas sell 100 basis points to 5.3%. We’re also seeing strong housing growth in the Portland Vancouver area with a 25% increase in single family building permits in the last 12 months. And in the last year, home sales were up about 20% in Portland and average home prices increased by 6.5%. In Park County [ph] Washington where about 11% of our customers are located, home sales were up 19% for the year and average home prices were up 8.6%. All of these factors contributed to a fast growing Oregon economy. In fact Oregon’s economic health index rose the most in the nation through the first three quarters of 2015 according to the latest Bloomberg economic evaluation of states report. These were all good signs our economy continues to move in the right direction. On the operations front we had an excellent year with a continued focus on safety and reliability. We hit a milestone in the fourth quarter when we removed the final known bare steel pipe from our distribution system making our system one of the most modern in the nation. This achievement was supported by trackers established with the help of the commission more than three decades ago. In 2015 we once again reached our emergency response goals of answering 90% of emergency calls within 10 seconds and responding to damage and protocols onsite within 30 minutes on average. During the year we also began several multiyear infrastructure projects to ensure the continued reliability of our system and support customer growth. These ongoing investments include improvements totaling $25 million at our Newport LNG facility to modernize that plant and $25 million of upgrades are being made to our system in Vancouver, Washington also over the next several years to increase pressure levels to support our service territories fastest growing community. Safety and reliability coupled with affordability make natural gas a very competitive fuel source. In 2015 we were able to strengthen that position by reducing residential customer rates in Oregon by 7%, by 14% in Washington. This rate reduction was a reflection of the lowest natural gas commodity prices we’ve seen in 15 years. And finally for the sixth time in nine years we posted the highest score among large gas utilities in West in the 2015 JD Power Residential Customer Satisfaction study. This also marked the eighth time in nine years of ranking among the top two highest satisfaction scores in the nation. These results reflect our continued commitment to operate reliably, safely, and with high quality customer service in the communities we serve. With that let me turn it over to Gregg to cover our financial results and provide the 2016 guidance. Gregory C. Hazelton Thank you, Gregg and good morning everyone. Today I’ll start with a review of the fourth quarter results, followed by a discussion of our annual performance, and close with 2016 earnings guidance including key assumptions for the year. For the fourth quarter we reported improved consolidated results with net earnings of $1.08 per share or $29.7 million compared to $1.04 per share or $28.5 million for the same period last year. Consolidated results were driven by higher utility margin and other income, partially offset by increased O&M expense. Looking at our segment results, for the quarter our utility segment net income increased $1.1 million based on a $2.6 million increase in utility margin and then $1.8 million increase in other income, offset by a $2.4 million increase in O&M expense. The utility margin -– the increase in utility margin was predominantly driven by customer growth with over 3,300 new meter sets installed in the fourth quarter, which is nearly 1% higher than the prior year. In addition, utility margin benefited from the gas cost sharing gains as a result of lower actual gas prices than rates in Oregon -– in the Oregon purchase gas adjustment mechanism. Utility O&M for the quarter increased primarily reflecting higher incentive compensation, retirement, and healthcare costs. During the quarter, our gas storage segment earnings improved slightly reflecting some positive trends. Our Mist gas storage facility continues to perform well and operating results remained strong and comparable to the prior year. Gill Ranch realized an uptick in revenues reflecting higher contract prices for both firm and optimization contracts. Additionally, operating expenses decreased as we managed the business to a lower cost structure which we expect to benefit from in 2016. Also in December we redeemed the remaining Gill Ranch note, prior to its November 2016 scheduled maturity. Turning to our annual consolidated results, net income was $1.96 per share or $53.7 million compared to $2.16 per share or $58.7 million in 2014. As previously discussed, the company recognized a non-cash, after-tax $9.1 million environmental disallowance related to the February 2015 SRRM order. This charge was reported as O&M expenses in the first quarter of 2015. Excluding this charge consolidated earnings were $2.29 per share or $62.8 million, an increase of $0.13 over 2014. Annual results were largely driven by higher utility margin and other income, offset by increased O&M expenses. For the year utility net income increased $3.9 million, excluding the impact of the $9.1 million charge. Higher net income was largely driven by a $5.3 million increase in utility margin, a $6.6 million increase in other income, and a $2.4 million decrease in interest expense, offset by $7.2 million increase in O&M expense, and a $1.8 million increase in depreciation expense. In November we began collecting revenues from customers through the environmental mechanism or SRRM. For the -– for 2015, these collections totaled $3.5 million and are included in operating revenues with a corresponding offset for the amortization of environmental regulatory asset. For the year, utility margin increased primarily driven by strong customer growth with the addition of more than 9,700 customers and gains from our gas cost incentive sharing mechanism. These increases were offset by lower margin from customers not covered by weather normalization as the region experienced exceptionally warm weather. The $6.6 million increase in utility, other income was primarily due to the recognition of equity earnings on deferred environmental expenditures as a result of the February 2015 order. Excluding the regulatory disallowance, utility O&M expense increased over last year, primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefit expense, which included higher employee incentive compensation, retirement and healthcare costs, as well a new union labor contract that was effective June 2014. In addition, non-payroll expense increased from higher professional service and insurance cost. In the second half of 2015, management implemented a number of temporary cost saving initiatives to mitigate the unplanned effects of warm weather and the disallowance. These targeted initiatives resulted in approximately $5 million or $0.11 per share of O&M savings. While these measures help the company meet its 2015 financial targets, they are unsustainable and we do not plan to continue them in 2016. Utility interest expense decreased $2.4 million over the last 12 months with the redemption of $40 million of debentures without reissuance. For the year net income for gas storage improved mainly due to a reduction in operating expenses reflecting lower repair and power cost at our Gill Ranch facility. As well as permanent expense savings I previously mentioned. Despite improvement in the fourth quarter, gas storage annual operating revenues declined as a result of higher contracted storage prices in the first quarter of 2014. In addition interest expense increased reflecting the early redemption of the Gill Ranch note. Cash flow from operating activities declined $31 million compared to last year due to over $100 million of environmental insurance recoveries in 2014 offset in part by the decrease in cash flows from changes in deferred gas cost balance. Now I’d like to briefly mention two regulatory updates. In January 2016 we received an order from the OPUC resulting all open matters in our SRRM docket. The order confirmed the recovery of environmental cost eligible to Oregon rate payers under the SRRM and disallowed interest earned on the original $15 million charge from the February 2015 order. As a result we recognized a non-cash $3.3 million pretax charge in January 2016. Also we continually assess our business and economic environment to determine the need for future rate cases. Based on rate based growth since our last Oregon rate case in November 2012 and increases in operating expenses, we are evaluating the need to file in Oregon general rate case within the next 12 to 24 months. And a potential Washington rate case sometime thereafter. Moving to 2016 guidance, capital expenditures are expected to range from a $155 million to $175 million including approximately $15 million of capital expenditures associated with our North Mist expansion. For the five year period ending 2020, we estimate utility capital expenditures to range from $850 million to $950 million excluding any potential future gas reserve investments. This range also includes a $125 million of CAPEX for our North Mist expansion. At this time we expect cash savings from the extension of bonus depreciation to total approximately $90 million through 2019. We are evaluating the impact of this extension on the mix and profile of our investments. Our CAPEX range does not include any potential additional capital investment that may result from this evaluation. We currently do not anticipate the need to issue equity until 2018 with the completion of our North Mist expansion. In addition we are utilizing open market purchases for a dividend reinvestment program as well as certain share based compensation programs. The company initiated 2016 earnings guidance today in the range of $1.98 to $2.18 per share which includes the $3.3 million pretax or $0.07 after tax charge from the January 2016 order. Our adjusted guidance range excluding the charge is $2.05 to $2.25 per share. With that I’ll turn it back over to Gregg for his concluding remarks. Gregg S. Kantor Thanks Gregg, as we turned to 2016 we continued to focus on our regulatory agenda and on growing our company. On the regulatory front we were pleased to reach conclusion on the implementation of our environmental mechanism with the commission’s order this January. Although the additional charge in 2016 is disappointing, this was a complex docket and we believe the mechanism provides a good path forward for all stakeholders. This year we will continue working with the commission and other gas utilities in Oregon on the policy docket exploring commodity hedging. This includes what role gas reserves could play in a balanced natural gas supply portfolio. We’ve also been working with the Oregon Commission and stakeholders on a carbon solutions program under Oregon’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Legislation. As we’ve discussed before, Senate Bill 844 allows the OPUC to incent natural gas utilities to undertake projects that will reduce emissions. Our first proposal was submitted in June and is designed to further the use of combined heat and power in Oregon. We filed our last briefs a few weeks ago and expect a decision from the commission in the next few months. On the customer growth side, we are working hard on expanding our multi -– our market share in the multi-family housing sector. As I mentioned, the Portland area housing market has seen an upturn, particularly in multi-family apartments. To further our efforts, we have created a cross-functional team to evaluate every aspect of the apartment rental market, a market that is typically underserved with natural gas. Results of a recent market study show that 80% of renters in Portland prefer natural gas entities. This shows a clear gap between what renters want and what’s available and we’ve begun developing a comprehensive marketing program targeting apartment developers. We view rental apartments as an untapped growth opportunity and a priority segment for us moving forward. Now let me give you a quick update on the potential expansion project at our underground storage facility in Mist, Oregon. As you know in 2014 we received approval from Portland General Electric to move forward with the committee and land acquisition work required for the expansion project. The project would provide no notice storage services to PGE’s natural gas power generating plants at Port Westward. It would include a new reservoir providing up to 2.5 billion cubic feet of available storage, an additional compressor station, and a new pipeline. Last April, we submitted an application to the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council for an amendment to our existing Mist site certificate, a step required to support the expansion. In early October, we held an open-house with the local community near the expansion site and received positive feedback from attendees. And then on March 5th, just a few weeks ago, the Department of Energy published a proposed order. Public comment processed on that order will end on March 7, just a few weeks from now. If there are no challenges to proposed order through the comment process, we could receive the EFSC permit approval later this spring. And currently, we’re in the process of rebidding the EPC portion of the project. Following the approval of the permit and the rebidding process we expect to receive a notice to proceed from Portland General later this year. We continue targeting an in-service date during the 2018, 2019 winter season, a target that depends of course on the permitting process and construction schedule. And the current estimated cost of the project is approximately $125 million. Over many years Northwest Natural has demonstrated the careful planning essential to finding and retaining the talent necessary to drive success. Detailed succession plans are an integral part of the company’s business activities and this past year the benefits of that work were clearly visible. I would like to mention two key changes; first, in June of last year Greg Hazelton joined the management team as CFO and was also recently named Treasurer. And second, this past December, I announced my retirement at the end of 2016 and that David Anderson would be promoted to Chief Executive Officer effective to August 1. I will be working with the Board in Advisory role until the end of December. A smooth transition at the top is critical, but as important is developing the talent for succession in key positions across the organization, and that has been a long held commitment at Northwest Natural, one, that in my opinion, is the true mark of a Board and the management team with foresight. David is an excellent example of this talent. He is a strong leader and he brings great experience and a diverse skill set to the CEO position. I’m confident our company will be in good hands going forward. With that, thanks for joining us this morning and now I’ll open it up for questions. Question-and-Answer Session Operator We will now begin the question-and-answer session. [Operator Instructions]. Gregg S. Kantor Looks like people are ready for the weekend I guess. Operator Okay, well this concludes our question-and-answer session, I would like to turn the conference back over to Gregg Kantor, Chief Executive Officer for any closing remarks. Gregg S. Kantor Well thank you everyone. Thank you again for your interest in our company and for taking the time out this morning to listen in and have a great weekend. Operator The conference has now concluded. Thank you for attending today’s presentation. You may now disconnect. Copyright policy: All transcripts on this site are the copyright of Seeking Alpha. However, we view them as an important resource for bloggers and journalists, and are excited to contribute to the democratization of financial information on the Internet. (Until now investors have had to pay thousands of dollars in subscription fees for transcripts.) So our reproduction policy is as follows: You may quote up to 400 words of any transcript on the condition that you attribute the transcript to Seeking Alpha and either link to the original transcript or to www.SeekingAlpha.com. All other use is prohibited. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HERE IS A TEXTUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE APPLICABLE COMPANY’S CONFERENCE CALL, CONFERENCE PRESENTATION OR OTHER AUDIO PRESENTATION, AND WHILE EFFORTS ARE MADE TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE TRANSCRIPTION, THERE MAY BE MATERIAL ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INACCURACIES IN THE REPORTING OF THE SUBSTANCE OF THE AUDIO PRESENTATIONS. IN NO WAY DOES SEEKING ALPHA ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY INVESTMENT OR OTHER DECISIONS MADE BASED UPON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THIS WEB SITE OR IN ANY TRANSCRIPT. USERS ARE ADVISED TO REVIEW THE APPLICABLE COMPANY’S AUDIO PRESENTATION ITSELF AND THE APPLICABLE COMPANY’S SEC FILINGS BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT OR OTHER DECISIONS. If you have any additional questions about our online transcripts, please contact us at: transcripts@seekingalpha.com . Thank you!