Bought the ticket, hasn't taken the ride: the company has already paid for its next stage and is now waiting to be paid
The model's full reasoning — Q4 2015 call → NOWe need to determine if management describes a situation where the company has already spent or committed resources for a stage of business not yet paid back, with the return still outstanding and treated as a matter of time, and the outlay is large relative to the company. Let's examine the transcript. Key points: - ALLETE reported 2015 results with earnings per share of $2.92, including a profit from construction and sale of a wind facility, impairment charge, and acquisition fees. - They have various projects: Thomson Hydro restoration completed in Q4 2015, mercury reduction at Boswell, Great Northern Transmission Line (construction expected to begin in 2017, completion 2020), solar installation at Camp Ripley (construction to begin May, producing by November 2016), ALLETE Clean Energy acquisitions, U.S. Water acquisition. The question: Does management describe a situation where they have already paid for a stage of business not yet paid back? That is, they have spent money or committed resources, but the revenue/earnings from that spending has not yet arrived, and they treat the payback as a matter of time. Look for specific examples: - Thomson Hydro: came back to full production in Q4 2015 after $90 million restoration. That is now producing, so payback is starting? But it's already back, so not outstanding. - Great Northern Transmission Line: construction expected to begin in 2017, completion 2020. So spending is ahead, not done. - Solar installation: construction to begin May, producing by November 2016. So spending is ahead, not done. - ALLETE Clean Energy: acquired wind facilities in 2015, they are now operating and contributing to earnings. So payback is happening. - U.S. Water: acquired in early 2015, had net income of $900k, but had purchase accounting adjustments. They expect full recognition by Q1 2016. So the acquisition is already contributing, though there was a drag. The question is about a stage of business where the company has already spent but not yet received the return. For example, they might have built a facility that is not yet fully operational, or hired people not yet productive. Look at the taconite customers: they are facing reduced production. But that's not a spending issue. What about the EITE proposal? That's a rate proposal, not spending. What about the depreciation life extension? That's a regulatory request.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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| GOLD | Barrick Gold Corporation | Q3 2023 | 2023-11-02 | C |
| TGLS | Tecnoglass Inc. | Q2 2023 | 2023-08-08 | A |
| SPT | Sprout Social, Inc. | Q2 2023 | 2023-08-04 | B+ |
| GVP | GSE Systems, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-05-15 | D |
| CDE | Coeur Mining, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-05-11 | C+ |
| PRPH | ProPhase Labs, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-05-11 | F |
| SLDP | Solid Power, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-05-08 | C+ |
| KE | Kimball Electronics, Inc. | Q3 2023 | 2023-05-06 | C+ |
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| CEIX | CONSOL Energy Inc. | Q4 2022 | 2023-02-07 | B |
| FLL | Full House Resorts, Inc. | Q3 2022 | 2022-11-07 | B |
| MEC | Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. | Q3 2022 | 2022-11-05 | B+ |
| XHR | Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. | Q2 2022 | 2022-08-05 | A |
| SYM | Symbotic Inc. | Q3 2022 | 2022-08-01 | B+ |
| OGI | OrganiGram Holdings Inc. | Q3 2022 | 2022-07-14 | B+ |
| FLYW | Flywire Corporation | Q1 2022 | 2022-05-14 | B+ |
| IRTC | iRhythm Technologies, Inc. | Q1 2022 | 2022-05-07 | C+ |
| STC | Stewart Information Services Corporation | Q1 2022 | 2022-04-29 | C+ |
| FLUX | Flux Power Holdings, Inc. | Q2 2022 | 2022-02-10 | D |
| HNRG | Hallador Energy Company | Q3 2021 | 2021-11-09 | C+ |
| EHTH | eHealth, Inc. | Q2 2021 | 2021-07-29 | F |
| ALB | Albemarle Corporation | Q3 2018 | 2018-11-08 | B |
| PRIM | Primoris Services Corporation | Q2 2018 | 2018-08-11 | C+ |
| KIM | Kimco Realty Corporation | Q2 2018 | 2018-07-26 | B+ |
| CP | Canadian Pacific Railway Limited | Q2 2018 | 2018-07-19 | B+ |
| ACHC | Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. | Q4 2017 | 2018-02-22 | C+ |
| AOSL | Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited | Q2 2018 | 2018-02-07 | B |
| HTLF | Heartland Financial USA, Inc. | Q3 2017 | 2017-10-30 | B+ |
| PDCO | Patterson Companies, Inc. | Q3 2017 | 2017-02-23 | C |
| PSX | Phillips 66 | Q4 2016 | 2017-02-03 | C+ |
| TGI | Triumph Group, Inc. | Q2 2017 | 2016-11-03 | C+ |
| RCL | Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | Q1 2016 | 2016-04-29 | C+ |
PRIM · Q2 2018 → YESThe question is about whether management describes having already spent money or resources for a larger operation, but the revenue from that hasn't arrived yet. YES The transcript shows management describing the Willbros acquisition as a completed outlay: closed June 1, $165 million total paid ($38.4 million cash for shares + $123.2 million debt settlement + $3.1 million fees), net cash $111 million, funded by revolver, then refinanced 220 million term loan. This is treated as already done, not planned. The return is still largely outstanding: only one month of Willbros operations reported ($61 million revenue, $6.8 million gross profit, $2.9 million operating income in June), merger-related expenses $7.
PSX · Q4 2016 → YESThe question is about whether management describes having already spent money or resources for a larger operation, but the returns haven't come yet, and they expect them soon as a matter of time. YES Management describes the U.S. Gulf Coast Petrochemicals Project as already substantially paid for: capital spending is “reduced following the completion of the project” and “down significantly” compared with last year, with roughly $1 billion of CapEx no longer available for distribution.
TGI · Q2 2017 → YESThe question is about whether management describes having already spent money or resources for a larger operation that hasn't paid back yet. YES The transcript shows management describing a clear situation matching all three criteria. On slide 13, they report "$126 million" of year-to-date investments in development programs as a completed cash outflow ("used $126 million"), with incremental customer financing providing $100 million offset.