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Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 new, 5 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Diluted EPS was $0.58: Diluted EPS was $0.58 for the quarter, against a $0.56 loss a year earlier; adjusted EPS from continuing operations was $0.45, against $0.37. Source
  • California order adds $40 million: Management described the decision as adding about $40 million of incremental annual revenue. Source
  • Deferred first-quarter revenue recognized: Second-quarter net income includes about $9.7 million of first-quarter revenue that had been tracked in a memorandum account pending the decision. Source
  • Further 1.8 Bcf of interest: About 1.8 Bcf of further expressions of interest, requesting in-service dates from 2029 to 2035, are being converted into binding agreements. Source
  • Operating margin up $25.5 million: Operating margin rose $25.5 million, mainly on updated California rates adding about $19.5 million, plus $1.4 million from customer growth. Source
  • Capital spending $520 million: Capital investment on an accrual basis totaled $520.0 million in the first half, including about $115 million on the Great Basin 2028 expansion. Source

“We’re encouraged by the progress our team made this quarter, advancing rate cases in all three states and securing binding commitments for our Great Basin 2028 expansion project,”

Justin Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Gas Holdings

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Earnings per share from continuing operations Source2026$4.17 - $4.32 / shareKept
Capital expenditures Source2026~$1.25 billionKept
Adjusted EPS from continuing operations CAGR Source2026-203012.0% - 14.0%Kept
Capital expenditures Source2026-2030$6.3 billionKept
Rate base CAGR Source2026-20309.5% - 11.5%Kept
Great Basin 2028 expansion project capital SourceProject estimate, not yet in long-term guidanceapproximately $2.3 billionRaised from $1.7 billion
Annual incremental margin, Great Basin 2028 expansion SourceAfter project in-service$270 to $300 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Management reaffirmed the 2026 and forward-looking guidance ranges in this release. Source
  • New: Binding precedent agreements now total about 1 Bcf per day, up from 0.6 Bcf per day of contracted demand before this quarter. Source
  • New: The California commission ruled on the non-cost-of-capital components of the rate case; the cost-of-capital part remains pending. Source
  • New: The Nevada general rate case revenue request rose from about $71 million to about $74 million. Source
  • New: Arizona System Integrity Mechanism rates took effect April 1, 2026, with an annual capital cap. Source

Quarter results and earnings drivers

  • Diluted EPS was $0.58: Diluted EPS was $0.58 for the quarter, against a $0.56 loss a year earlier; adjusted EPS from continuing operations was $0.45, against $0.37. Source
  • Continuing income up year on year: Income from continuing operations was $42.1 million, compared with a $0.7 million loss a year earlier. Adjusted income was $32.4 million, up $5.9 million. Source
  • Six-month EPS reached $2.49: Six-month diluted EPS was $2.49, against $1.02 a year earlier. Centuri is reported in discontinued operations, and its disposition is complete. Source
  • Corporate costs swung to income: Corporate and administrative moved from a $46.4 million loss to $1.4 million of income, mainly on a prior-year tax charge that did not recur and lower net interest deductions. Source
  • Return on equity held at 8.1%: Twelve-month utility return on period-end equity was 8.1%, and 8.0% on an adjusted basis. Source

California rate case outcome

  • California order adds $40 million: Management described the decision as adding about $40 million of incremental annual revenue. Source
  • Deferred first-quarter revenue recognized: Second-quarter net income includes about $9.7 million of first-quarter revenue that had been tracked in a memorandum account pending the decision. Source
  • Support for infrastructure investment: Management said the order reinforces regulatory support for infrastructure investment and improves earnings visibility. Source

“We remain focused on executing our growth and regulatory priorities while delivering long-term value creation for all stakeholders.”

Justin Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Gas Holdings

Great Basin 2028 expansion

  • Commercial momentum continues: Management pointed to continued commercial momentum on the 2028 expansion project during the quarter. Source
  • Further 1.8 Bcf of interest: About 1.8 Bcf of further expressions of interest, requesting in-service dates from 2029 to 2035, are being converted into binding agreements. Source
  • 48-inch pipe sized for growth: The 2028 project uses 48-inch pipe for contracted demand and can add capacity later through compression. Source
  • Later phases need separate approvals: Demand beyond the 2028 project may support further expansions, each needing its own regulatory approvals and construction schedule. Source

Margins and cost drivers

  • Operating margin up $25.5 million: Operating margin rose $25.5 million, mainly on updated California rates adding about $19.5 million, plus $1.4 million from customer growth. Source
  • Six-month margin gain across states: Six-month operating margin rose $40.7 million; rate updates across all territories added about $32.7 million, including $20.2 million tied to the California settlement. Source
  • Operations costs fell on insurance: Operations and maintenance expense fell $3.7 million on lower insurance and outside services costs, while employee labor and leak survey costs rose. Source
  • Depreciation rose with plant: Depreciation and amortization rose $8.7 million, or 13%, with gas plant in service up 7% and $4.9 million of higher regulatory account amortization. Source
  • Income tax expense rose: Income tax expense rose $16.2 million, mainly because the prior-year quarter included a $12.0 million state apportionment benefit that did not recur. Source

Demand and system throughput

  • Residential throughput declined: Six-month residential throughput was 40.1 million dekatherms, against 49.1 million a year earlier; small commercial was 17.3 million, against 19.7 million. Source
  • Large commercial edged up: Large commercial throughput rose slightly to 5.7 million dekatherms, while industrial and other fell to 2.5 million. Source
  • Net customer growth of 1%: Customer growth added $4.5 million of six-month margin, reflecting 1% net growth over the twelve months to June 30, 2026. Source

Capital investment and cash

  • Capital spending $520 million: Capital investment on an accrual basis totaled $520.0 million in the first half, including about $115 million on the Great Basin 2028 expansion. Source
  • Cash and liquidity at quarter end: Cash and equivalents were $270.5 million at quarter end, with nearly $1.0 billion of available liquidity. Source
  • Shareholder metrics at quarter end: Market value was 156% of book value per share at quarter end; the common stock dividend yield was 2.9%. Source

Guidance and long-term plan

  • 2026 capex guidance not materially changed: Management does not expect the higher project estimates to materially change 2026 capital expenditures guidance. Source
  • Long-term metrics on earlier base: Long-term metrics still rest on the earlier Great Basin capital base, so the higher project estimate is not yet in them. Source
  • Ranges kept in place: Management did not change the 2026 EPS, capital or growth ranges in this release. Source

Arizona and Nevada regulatory items

  • Arizona recovery mechanism capped: Recovery of eligible safety and reliability investment through the Arizona mechanism is capped at $50 million of capital each year. Source
  • Nevada general rate case filing: The Nevada filing carries post-test-year plant adjustments through May 2026, supporting recovery of ongoing infrastructure investment. Source
  • Nevada resource plan approved: Nevada approved the Triennial Resource Plan, including prudency pre-determinations for about $186 million of capital, giving visibility into future rate base growth. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 August 2026

  • California cost-of-capital decision: Management expects a final decision on the cost-of-capital component in August. Source
  • Long-term plan update in February: Great Basin capital, rate base and earnings expectations are to be added to long-term guidance during the five-year planning refresh, which typically concludes in February. Source
  • FERC certificate filing later in 2026: The FERC certificate application is expected to be filed later in 2026, and its filing schedule is not expected to change from the added demand. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Rate base growth (CAGR 2026-2030) Source9.5% - 11.5%
Rate base, 2025 base year Source$6.7 billion
Authorized rate base, total Source$5,809,781 thousand
Capital plan, 2026-2030 Source$6.3 billion
Adjusted EPS growth target (CAGR 2026-2030) Source12.0% - 14.0%
Customer growth Source1% net, twelve months to June 30, 2026
Load (system throughput), six months Source106,053,583 dekatherms, against 116,611,869
Rate case: California incremental revenue Sourceapproximately $40 million a year
Rate case: Nevada requested revenue increase Source~$74 million

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Management said the California decision was delayed, so rates that would otherwise have been recorded in the first quarter were recognized later. Source
  • Demand: The added expressions of interest are not yet binding, so conversion to agreements and posted surety remains uncertain. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said FERC certificate preparations are progressing as planned. Source
  • Not stated: Shippers that signed BPAs must post surety and sign twenty-year agreements to keep the planned project schedule. 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.