H2O America (HTO) M&A Announcement July 08, 2025 08:30 AM ET Speaker0Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by, and welcome to HGO America's Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a question and answer session. Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Ann Kelly, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at H2O America.Please go ahead.Speaker1Good morning, ...

Core Viewpoint - H2O America is acquiring Quadvest, significantly increasing its connections in Texas and enhancing its operational scale and financial diversification, with expectations for long-term EPS growth and positioning Texas as its second-largest utility operation by 2028 [1][4][7]. Company Overview - H2O America operates a national network of local water and wastewater utilities, focusing on delivering clean, high-quality water to communities [13][15]. - Quadvest is a major water and wastewater utility in Texas, serving over 47,000 active connections and having a strong development pipeline in the Houston area [2][16]. Transaction Details - The acquisition involves TWC acquiring regulated systems from Quadvest for $483.6 million and TWOS acquiring systems for $56.4 million, totaling $540 million [7]. - The transaction will be financed through a mix of privately placed debt and equity, ensuring H2O America maintains a strong balance sheet [7]. Strategic Implications - The combination is expected to increase H2O America's customer base in Texas from approximately 17% to 26% by 2029, enhancing its presence in one of the fastest-growing regions [3]. - The merger will create the second-largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility in Texas, with a combined active pipeline of about 96,000 connections under contract [3][4]. Future Plans - H2O America plans to invest over $500 million in Texas over the next five years, increasing its consolidated five-year capital spending plan to approximately $2.1 billion, a 6% increase [3][7]. - The leadership of TWC will remain intact, with Aundrea Williams continuing as president, ensuring continuity in operations and community engagement [6][5].

Core Viewpoint - H2O America has appointed Megan Mattern as Chief Accounting Officer, Principal Accounting Officer, and Controller, effective July 28, 2025, during a period of leadership transition and growth for the company [1][5]. Group 1: Leadership Transition - Eric W. Thornburg, the current Chair, President, and CEO, will retire on June 30, 2025, with Andrew F. Walters, the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, set to become the new CEO [2][5]. - Ann P. Kelly, the current Chief Accounting Officer, will assume the role of CFO effective July 1, 2025 [5]. Group 2: Megan Mattern's Background - Megan Mattern brings over 20 years of experience in complex, regulated environments, particularly in global energy, utilities, and infrastructure [2]. - She previously served as Vice President and CFO of UGI International, a $2.3 billion multinational LPG distributor, where she led financial strategy across 16 countries and achieved over 15% EBIT growth [2][3]. - Mattern has held senior financial leadership roles at UGI Energy Services, UGI Utilities, and PPL Corporation, focusing on M&A, systems modernization, and financial transformation [3]. Group 3: Company Overview - H2O America is a national investor-owned network of local water and wastewater utilities, committed to delivering clean, high-quality water to communities [7]. - The company operates approximately 407,000 water and wastewater service connections and focuses on investing in critical infrastructure for sustainable water supply [8]. - H2O America serves over 1.6 million people through its regional utilities, including Connecticut Water, Maine Water, San Jose Water, and Texas Water [9].

Core Insights - The utilities sector has shown resilience amid market volatility in 2025, emerging as a stable source of dividend income and defensive investment [1][3] - The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) has returned 8% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500, which is up under 2% [2] Company Highlights - Artesian Resources Corp. has seen a year-to-date share price increase of about 10%, with a dividend yield of 3.65% and an annual dividend of $1.23 [4][5] - The company reported an earnings per share (EPS) of 53 cents, exceeding analyst predictions by 18 cents, and quarterly revenue also surpassed expectations [5] - Artesian's revenue growth is attributed to an increase in customer count and a new distribution system improvement charge, with non-utility revenue growing by 8% year-over-year [6] - An anticipated rate increase later this year is expected to support continued revenue growth and maintain the company's attractive dividend yield [7] Additional Company Insights - Clearway Energy Inc. has a dividend yield of 5.85% and an annual dividend of $1.75, with a focus on renewable energy and battery storage operations [8][9] - Clearway reported an EPS beat, coming in at 3 cents per share, with adjusted EBITDA for its renewables and storage segment climbing by about 30% year-over-year [9] - NiSource Inc. has seen its shares rise over 8% year-to-date, with an EPS growth target of 6-8% and plans to invest $19 billion in renewable energy projects [12][13]