Recorded

Ushering in some stability back into its business, TXU recorded 2003 earnings from continuing operations — before cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles, net of preference stock dividends — of $715 million, or $2.03 per diluted share of common stock. Comparable earnings before extraordinary charges in 2002 were $160 million, or $0.58 per diluted share of common stock.

Detailed and recorded trader tapes show that a handful of Texas utility companies, led by TXU Corp., are gaming the state’s electricity market, using the same types of schemes exposed in the California and Enron crises to reap windfall profits at the expense of Texas consumers and smaller competitors, bankrupt Texas Commercial Energy (TCE) alleged last week.

The downhill slope for swing prices got a bit steeper Wednesday. Most points recorded losses between 10 and 20 cents, although a few in the San Juan/Rockies market saw smaller declines as high temperatures continued to hit the century mark in much of the interior West.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, all points recorded major declines in swing trading for the weekend. Friday’s market had a lot going against it: the screen plunge a day earlier that was linked to the latest record-setting storage injection; the disappearance of very hot weather almost everywhere except for the desert Southwest and inland California; and the normal industrial load drop that accompanies a weekend.

Volatility was starting to build in the cash market again Thursday as nearly all points recorded sizeable losses. Triple-digit declines occurred in a variety of disparate markets: Northeast, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Western Canada, San Juan Basin and California (Malin and PG&E-Topock), and at isolated points such as Dominion and Northern Natural-Ventura. Numbers for the Gulf Coast, Midcontinent, Rockies and Columbia-Appalachia production area, along with the Southern California border and PG&E citygate, tended to range from barely lower to down about 85 cents or so.

The market recorded quite a few small to moderate gains Friday, primarily in the West and Northeast, but most weekend prices ranged from flat to as much as about 20 cents lower. The general softness was attributed to fairly moderate weather in most of the East, typically lower demand over a weekend, and the residual effect of the previous day’s screen plunge.

Properties in the gas pipeline and storage segment, among the billions of dollars of assets flooding the market from companies looking to raise cash quickly, offer the most value at the fairest prices, according to Entergy Corp. officials who are studying the possibilities.

Prices recorded gains at all points Thursday, with nearly all of them in double digits. Sources cited the previous afternoon’s run-up in energy futures as the chief price booster, since air conditioning demand remained on the relatively mild side for mid-summer in the key Midwest and Northeast market areas. Increases were remarkably consistent across the market spectrum; few were less than a dime, and a majority ranged between about a dime and a little more than 20 cents.

Prices recorded gains at all points Thursday, with nearly all of them in double digits. Sources cited the previous afternoon’s run-up in energy futures as the chief price booster, since air conditioning demand remained on the relatively mild side for mid-summer in the key Midwest and Northeast market areas. Increases were remarkably consistent across the market spectrum; few were less than a dime, and a majority ranged between about a dime and a little more than 20 cents.