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Alliant Energy Corp.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 1 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • GAAP EPS rose, ongoing EPS slipped: The company reported GAAP EPS of $0.87 against $0.83 a year earlier. Ongoing EPS was $0.82 against $0.83, and the release says it is about 25% of the guidance midpoint. Source
  • Rate base growth added to earnings: Higher revenue requirements from rate base growth added $0.05 per share at IPL and $0.10 per share at WPL, including generation and energy storage investment. Higher allowance for funds used during construction also added to results. Source
  • Temperatures cut operating income $16 million: Estimated operating income decreases from temperatures were $16 million in the quarter, against $9 million a year earlier. Electric accounted for $10 million and gas for $6 million. Source
  • Operating income fell: Operating income was $249 million against $257 million. Depreciation and amortization was $223 million against $211 million. Source
  • Long-term debt retired, short-term borrowing added: The company retired $1,075 million of long-term debt. It issued $400 million of other short-term borrowings and recorded a net $395 million increase in commercial paper. Source
  • State tax benefit excluded from ongoing EPS: Ongoing EPS excludes a $0.05 per share benefit from remeasuring deferred tax assets for estimated state income tax apportionment. The 2025 full-year equivalent item was a $0.03 per share charge. Source

“We are off to a strong start in 2026, delivering approximately 25% of our ongoing earnings guidance midpoint”

Lisa Barton, Alliant Energy President and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Consolidated ongoing EPS SourceFull year 2026$3.36 - $3.46Kept
Consolidated effective tax rate SourceFull year 2026(29%)

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The company signed an electric service agreement in Iowa for about 370 MW. Total contracted data center demand is now about 3.4 GW. Source
  • New: A data center customer chose an IPL site instead of a WPL site. The WPL agreement was terminated, then renegotiated and executed with IPL. Source

Earnings and growth drivers

  • GAAP EPS rose, ongoing EPS slipped: The company reported GAAP EPS of $0.87 against $0.83 a year earlier. Ongoing EPS was $0.82 against $0.83, and the release says it is about 25% of the guidance midpoint. Source
  • Rate base growth added to earnings: Higher revenue requirements from rate base growth added $0.05 per share at IPL and $0.10 per share at WPL, including generation and energy storage investment. Higher allowance for funds used during construction also added to results. Source
  • Financing and depreciation offset gains: The release says higher financing and depreciation expense tied to capital investments offset those gains. Source

Segment and affiliate results

  • IPL down, WPL up: Non-GAAP EPS was $0.36 at IPL against $0.43, and $0.45 at WPL against $0.43. Corporate Services was $0.02 against $0.01. Source
  • ATC Holdings flat year over year: ATC Holdings earned $0.04 per share in both periods. Source
  • Non-utility loss narrowed on ongoing basis: Non-utility and Parent was nil on a GAAP basis, against a $0.08 loss a year earlier. Excluding the state tax benefit, it was a $0.05 loss. Source

“With five executed agreements, we are translating customer demand into well-structured, long-term growth that benefits investors, existing customers and communities.”

Lisa Barton, Alliant Energy President and CEO

Sales mix by customer class

  • Industrial sales up, residential down: Residential sales were 1,835 thousand MWh against 1,871, industrial 2,542 against 2,519, and industrial co-generation customers 158 against 185. Source

Sales volumes and weather

  • Wholesale sales fell, bulk power rose: Wholesale sales were 511 thousand MWh against 691, while bulk power and other sales rose to 1,626 from 1,378. Total electric sales were 8,287 against 8,257. Source
  • Gas sales volumes declined: Retail gas sold and transported was 22,486 thousand dekatherms against 23,822. Residential gas was 13,172 against 14,039. Source
  • Heating degree days below normal: Heating degree days were 3,037 at Cedar Rapids against 3,240 a year earlier and 3,420 normal. Madison was 3,322 against 3,367 and 3,500 normal. Source
  • Temperatures cut operating income $16 million: Estimated operating income decreases from temperatures were $16 million in the quarter, against $9 million a year earlier. Electric accounted for $10 million and gas for $6 million. Source

Revenue, costs and operating income

  • Revenue rose on electric and gas: Total revenues were $1,184 million against $1,128 million. Electric utility revenue was $888 million against $853 million, and gas utility revenue was $271 million against $240 million. Source
  • Gas cost rose, fuel cost fell: Cost of gas sold was $173 million against $137 million. Electric fuel and purchased power fell to $168 million from $175 million, and transmission service was $159 million against $158 million. Source
  • Operating income fell: Operating income was $249 million against $257 million. Depreciation and amortization was $223 million against $211 million. Source

Cash, capital and dividend

  • Operating cash flow rose: Net cash from operating activities was $368 million against $249 million. Sales of accounts receivable to a third party reduced it by $107 million. Source
  • Utility construction spending fell: Utility construction and acquisition expenditures were $342 million against $554 million. Other construction was $72 million against $28 million. Source
  • Long-term debt retired, short-term borrowing added: The company retired $1,075 million of long-term debt. It issued $400 million of other short-term borrowings and recorded a net $395 million increase in commercial paper. Source
  • Quarterly dividend rate raised: The quarterly common dividend rate is $0.535 per share, against $0.5075 a year earlier. Common dividends paid were $137 million against $130 million. Source
  • Cash balance fell: Cash and cash equivalents were $115 million at March 31, 2026, against $556 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Non-GAAP adjustment and tax

  • State tax benefit excluded from ongoing EPS: Ongoing EPS excludes a $0.05 per share benefit from remeasuring deferred tax assets for estimated state income tax apportionment. The 2025 full-year equivalent item was a $0.03 per share charge. Source
  • Income tax benefit rose: The income tax benefit was $61 million against $47 million, on income before taxes of $163 million against $166 million. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Rate base growth SourceIPL $0.05 and WPL $0.10 per share from higher revenue requirements
Customer growth, electric Source1,011,434 retail electric customers at March 31, 2026, against 1,004,908
Customer growth, gas Source434,433 retail gas customers at March 31, 2026, against 431,903
Load growth SourceRetail subtotal 6,137 vs 6,174 thousand MWh
EPS growth target SourceCompound annual earnings growth of more than 6% over more than a decade

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Temperatures reduced retail electric and gas sales, by an estimated $0.04 per share in 2026 and $0.03 per share in 2025. Source
  • Operational: Other operation and maintenance expense rose on planned maintenance and new energy resources, which the release lists among the drivers of the quarter's results. Source
  • Financial: Interest expense was $142 million against $119 million, which the release links to higher financing expense on capital investments. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The company said it continues a track record of compound annual earnings growth of more than 6% over more than a decade. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.