financetom
Business
financetom
/
Business
/
Hawaiian Electric raises going concern doubts on uncertainties over wildfire settlement financing
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Hawaiian Electric raises going concern doubts on uncertainties over wildfire settlement financing
Aug 9, 2024 2:41 PM

By Sourasis Bose

(Reuters) -Utility firm Hawaiian Electric raised going concern doubts on Friday after disclosing that it did not have a financing plan in place for the $1.99 billion Maui wildfire settlement it reached earlier this month.

The company and its parent Hawaiian Electric Industries ( HE ) said they were working closely with financial advisers to develop a financing plan for their share of the settlement and they could finance it through a mix of debt, common equity, equity-linked securities, or other potential options.

HEI had about $124 million in cash in hand after the end of the second quarter.

However, the company does not intend to raise electricity rates to pay for the settlement, HEI CEO Scott Seu said on a post-earnings conference call.

Hawaii's largest utility had agreed to pay a large share of more than $4 billion in legal settlement to compensate victims of last year's deadly Maui wildfires that killed over 100 people.

However, the company and other defendants did not admit to any legal liability as part of the settlement terms, which were agreed upon after four months of mediation.

The proposed payments are expected to begin from mid-2025 after judicial review and approval, the company had said earlier.

Hawaiian said on Friday that it incurred a net loss of $1.30 billion, or $11.74 per share, for the second quarter, largely due to the wildfire-related charge of $1.71 billion during the quarter.

The company is also looking at strategic options for its American Savings Bank unit and it took a goodwill impairment charge of $82.2 million in connection with the endeavor during the second quarter.

The utility will also suspend dividend payments to its parent because of the going concern assessment.

(Reporting by Sourasis Bose in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Hong Kong-listed Samsonite plans dual listing in hunt for investors
Hong Kong-listed Samsonite plans dual listing in hunt for investors
Mar 21, 2024
(Reuters) -Luggage maker Samsonite International ( SMSOF ) on Friday said it plans to pursue a dual listing in addition to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to increase the liquidity of its shares and reach investors in more markets. Samsonite ( SMSOF ) did not provide details of the exchanges it is considering for the second listing,...
Oil eases on possible Gaza ceasefire, dollar strength
Oil eases on possible Gaza ceasefire, dollar strength
Mar 21, 2024
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Oil prices slipped on Friday on the possibility of a nearing Gaza ceasefire that could ease geopolitical concerns in the Middle East, while a stronger dollar and faltering U.S. gasoline demand also weighed on prices. Brent crude futures fell 42 cents, or 0.5%, to $85.36 a barrel by 0203 GMT. U.S. crude futures shed 40 cents, or 0.5%,...
Ecopetrol's Reficar refinery awarded nearly 20% of McDermott common capital, company says
Ecopetrol's Reficar refinery awarded nearly 20% of McDermott common capital, company says
Mar 21, 2024
BOGOTA, March 21 (Reuters) - The Reficar oil refinery belonging to Colombia's Ecopetrol was awarded 19.9% of the common capital in infrastructure firm McDermott in preferential shares by a judge in Amsterdam, Ecopetrol said in a statement on Thursday. The refinery is located in the Colombian city of Cartagena. ...
Meta's Instagram down for thousands, Downdetector shows
Meta's Instagram down for thousands, Downdetector shows
Mar 21, 2024
March 21 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms's ( META ) Instagram was down for thousands of users on Thursday, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com. ...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved