Core Insights - Spire Inc. reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.77 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.62 by 9.3% and reflecting a 32.1% increase from $1.34 in the same quarter last year [1][8] Revenue Performance - Total revenues for the quarter reached $762.2 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $712 million by 7.1% and showing a 13.9% increase from $669.1 million in the prior-year quarter [2][8] Earnings Highlights - Operating expenses were $588.7 million, up 13.1% from $520.3 million in the previous year [3] - Operating income was reported at $173.5 million, compared to $148.8 million in the prior-year quarter [3] - Net interest expenses rose 25.8% year over year to $60.4 million [3] Segment Performance - Gas Utility segment reported adjusted earnings of $103.9 million, a 33.7% increase from the prior-year quarter, driven by stronger results in Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama [4][8] - Gas Marketing segment saw adjusted earnings of $4.5 million, a significant growth of 104.5% year over year due to better portfolio optimization [4] - Midstream segment adjusted earnings totaled $12.7 million, up 5.8% from the previous year, attributed to higher Spire Storage revenues [5] - Other segment reported an adjusted loss of $12.7 million, compared to a loss of $10.9 million in the prior-year quarter [5] Financial Position - Cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2025, were $4.1 million, down from $5.7 million as of September 30, 2025 [6] - Long-term debt as of December 31, 2025, totaled $4.45 billion, an increase from $3.37 billion as of September 30, 2025 [6][8] - Net cash from operating activities for the first three months of fiscal 2026 was $81 million, slightly down from $81.1 million in the same period last year [6] Guidance - Spire expects fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings to be in the range of $5.25-$5.45 per share, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate at $5.30 [9] - For fiscal 2027, adjusted earnings are expected to be in the range of $5.65-$5.85 per share, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate at $5.71 [9] - The company plans a 10-year capital investment of $11.2 billion through fiscal 2035, aiming for long-term adjusted earnings per share growth of 5-7% [10]

Core Insights - Spire Inc. reported a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss, with an adjusted loss of $0.47 per share, missing analyst estimates of a $0.43 loss, and revenue of $334.1 million, significantly below expectations of $422.84 million [1] - Despite the loss, the company raised its earnings outlook for the next two fiscal years, projecting adjusted earnings of $5.25 to $5.45 per share for fiscal 2026 and $5.65 to $5.85 per share for fiscal 2027, both above consensus estimates [2] Financial Performance - For fiscal 2025, Spire reported adjusted earnings of $4.44 per share, reflecting a 7.5% increase from $4.13 in the prior year [2] - The Gas Utility segment generated adjusted earnings of $231.4 million in fiscal 2025, up from $220.8 million the previous year, driven by new rates at Spire Alabama and higher surcharge revenues at Spire Missouri [3] - The Midstream segment's earnings increased to $56.3 million from $33.5 million, attributed to expanded storage capacity and contract renewals at higher rates [3]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported adjusted net income of $2.28 per share for the first six months of 2025, compared to $1.6 per share for the same period last year [7] - Adjusted net income for Q2 2025 was $315,000 or $0.01 per share, an improvement from a loss of $2.8 million or $0.07 per share in Q2 2024 [17] - Year-to-date adjusted net income was $92.1 million or $2.28 per share for 2025, up from $61 million or $1.6 per share for the same period in 2024 [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Northwest Natural Gas segment saw net income increase by $4.5 million or $0.12 per share, with margin increasing by $16.9 million due to new rates in Oregon [18] - Sea Energy provided net income of $1 million or $0.03 per share, with strong margin and net income trends aligning with expectations [18] - The Water segment's net income increased by $1.8 million or $0.04 per share, driven by new rates at the largest water utility in Arizona and additional revenues from acquired utilities [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The combined utility customer growth rate was 10.6% for the twelve months ended June 30, 2025, primarily driven by gas utilities in Texas [8] - Northwest Natural Water's customer base grew by 5.8% over the last twelve months, including three acquisitions [13] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company reaffirmed its annual 2025 adjusted earnings guidance, expecting a range of $2.75 to $2.95 per share [22] - The capital expenditure plan for 2025 is projected to be between $450 million and $500 million, focusing on modernizing infrastructure and system upgrades [23] - The company aims for a long-term earnings per share growth rate of 4% to 6% compounded annually from 2025 adjusted EPS [24] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving financial targets for the full year, citing strong performance across all business segments [24] - The company noted that while there are signs of housing market slowdown in Texas, overall growth remains strong with significant meter additions [29] Other Important Information - The company filed a general rate case in Oregon to recover investments in gas infrastructure, expecting a modest 2.5% rate increase effective October 31 [11] - The liquidity position at June 30, 2025, was approximately $550 million, with no material debt maturities expected in 2025 [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on Sea Energy's growth and backlog - Management indicated that Sea Energy is performing as expected, with strong growth and a significant backlog exceeding annual goals by midyear [28][29] Question: Scale of upcoming water rate cases - Management noted that individual water rate cases are generally small, often less than $1 million in revenue requirement, leading to multiple rate cases executed annually [30]

Core Insights - Spire reported a revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter ended March 2025, reflecting a decrease of 6.8% year-over-year and falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.09 billion by 3.97% [1] - The company's EPS for the quarter was $3.60, an increase from $3.45 in the same quarter last year, but below the consensus estimate of $3.70, resulting in an EPS surprise of -2.70% [1] Revenue Breakdown - Gas Utility operating revenues were $970.20 million, down 9.6% year-over-year, and below the average estimate of $982.65 million [4] - Gas Marketing operating revenues reached $53.60 million, exceeding the average estimate of $37.64 million, with a year-over-year increase of 16.5% [4] - Midstream operating revenues were $38.40 million, significantly above the average estimate of $28.36 million, marking a year-over-year increase of 78.6% [4] - Other operating revenues totaled $4.90 million, surpassing the average estimate of $4.07 million, with a year-over-year change of 19.5% [4] - Eliminations reported a figure of -$15.80 million, worse than the average estimate of -$4.47 million, with no year-over-year change [4] Operating Income Analysis - Gas Marketing operating income was $12.40 million, below the average estimate of $22.55 million [4] - Midstream operating income reached $21.80 million, exceeding the average estimate of $15.54 million [4] - Gas Utility operating income was $272 million, slightly below the average estimate of $279.87 million [4] - Other operating income was $0.20 million, significantly lower than the average estimate of $15.26 million [4] Stock Performance - Over the past month, Spire's shares have returned -2.2%, compared to a -0.2% change in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating potential for outperformance in the near term [3]