Accumulates

Edison International and its financially recovering utility said last week that it expects even more of a heavy infusion of cash, and its hedges against future natural gas price volatility will permit the utility to pay off its $5.5 billion past-due debts by the end of the first quarter next year. A court settlement with state regulators is the lynch-pin that will allow Southern California Edison for the first time in a year to return to the debt market to supplement what it expects to be $4 billion in cash on hand by early next year.