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WEC Energy's second-quarter earnings falls on greater costs

Utility business WEC Energy Group reported a 27% drop in secondquarter profit on Wednesday, harmed by higher operating costs and an increase in interest expenditures.

Greater rate of interest by the U.S. Federal Reserve to suppress inflation has improved borrowing costs for utility companies, which usually incur significant capital expenditures.

The business's interest costs increased 12.5% to $200.6 million in the quarter from a year previously, while operation and maintenance expenses jumped 7.5% to $533.4 million.

The company said on a weather-normal basis, retail shipments of electricity throughout the 2nd quarter-- excluding the iron ore mine-- slipped by 0.3%.

The utility reaffirmed its full-year profit forecast of in between $4.80 and $4.90 per share.

The company said earnings attributed to common shareholders was up to $211.3 million, or 67 cents per share, for the quarter ended June 30, from $289.7 million, or 92 cents, a. year back.

Its residential electrical power usage rose by 1.4%. Retail. deliveries of electrical power-- omitting the iron ore mine in. Michigan's Upper Peninsula-- were up by 0.5% compared a year. ago.

Electrical energy consumption by little industrial and commercial. clients rose 0.3%, while power usage by big business and. industrial clients-- leaving out the iron ore mine-- decreased by. 0.1%.

(source: Reuters)