SEC Company Response from FUELCELL ENERGY (FCEL) — Mar 9, 2006
FUELCELL ENERGY INC
Date: March 9, 2006 · CIK: 0000886128 · Accession: 0001144204-06-009249
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 001-14204
Referenced dates: February 10, 2006
Show Raw Text
CORRESP
1
filename1.htm
RICHARD
A. KRANTZ
Financial
Centre
695
East Main Street
P.O.
Box 10305
Stamford,
CT 06904-2305
Main
(203) 462-7500
Fax
(203) 462-7599
rkrantz@rc.com
Direct
(203) 462-7505
Also
admitted in New York
and
Massachusetts
March
9,
2006
Ms.
Kate
Tillan
Assistant
Chief Accountant
United
States Securities and Exchange Commission
450
Fifth
Street, N.W.
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Re:
FuelCell
Energy Inc.
Form 10-K for the year ended October
31,
2005
Filed
January 17, 2006
File
No. 001-14204
Dear
Ms.
Tillan:
This
correspondence is in response to your letter dated February 10, 2006 to Joseph
G. Mahler, Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of FuelCell Energy,
Inc. (“FuelCell”). In that letter, you requested that FuelCell respond to your
comments following a limited review of its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed
on
February 10, 2006. We will respond to the comments in the order
presented.
Form
10-K for the year ended October 31, 2005
Financial
Statements
Consolidated
Balance Sheets, page 67
1.
The
Staff referred to page 87 of the footnotes to the financial statements
stating that if there is a fundamental change of control, a holder
of
Series B Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred
Stock”) may require the Company to repurchase all or part of their Series
B Preferred Stock. FuelCell advises the Staff that should such a
fundamental change occur, FuelCell, at its option, may elect to pay
the
Fundamental Change Purchase Price in cash or in shares of Common
Stock
valued at a discount of 5% from the Market Price of the shares of
Common
Stock, or any combination thereof. This provision is described in
the
Certificate of Designation of the Series B Preferred Stock, which
was
filed as Exhibit 3.1.3 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1/A
on
March 14, 2005.
Ms.
Kate
Tillan
Securities
and Exchange Commission
March
9,
2006
Page
2
FuelCell
has evaluated the accounting for, and the classification of, the Series B
Preferred Stock under EITF Topic D-98 “Classification and Measurement of
Redeemable Securities” (EITF D-98). The Scope of EITF D-98 (paragraph 2) states
the following:
“Rule
5-02.28 of Regulation S-X requires
preferred securities that are redeemable
for cash or other assets to be classified outside of permanent
equity
if they
are redeemable (1) at a fixed or determinable price on a fixed or determinable
date, (2) at the option of the holder, or (3) upon the occurrence of an event
that is not solely within the control of the issuer.”
As
noted
above, the shares of Series
B
Preferred Stock are only redeemable in cash at the option of FuelCell (not
the
holder). FuelCell has no intent to redeem the Series B Preferred Stock in cash.
It is FuelCell’s intent that the Series B Preferred Stock will eventually
convert to common shares either through conversion or redemption upon a
fundamental change. Given these facts, FuelCell believes that the Series B
Preferred Stock is properly classified under the shareholders’ equity heading on
the consolidated balance sheet.
In
future
filings, FuelCell will revise its disclosure of the Series B Preferred Stock
to
specifically disclose that upon a fundamental change, FuelCell, at its option,
may elect to pay the Fundamental Change Purchase Price in cash or in shares
of
Common Stock valued at a discount of 5% from the Market Price of the shares
of
Common Stock, or any combination thereof.
2.
FuelCell
acknowledges the Staff’s comments. In future filings, FuelCell will revise
its description of “Preferred shares of subsidiary” to add that these
shares are convertible into FuelCell common shares.
Ms.
Kate
Tillan
Securities
and Exchange Commission
March
9,
2006
Page
3
In
addition, the Staff referred to Item 5-02-27 of Regulation S-X, which requires
separate classification, not to be included under a general heading of
stockholders equity, for “minority interests in consolidated subsidiaries.”
FuelCell advises the Staff that it owns 100% of the voting equity in its
Canadian subsidiary, FuelCell Energy, Ltd., the issuer of the Series I Preferred
Shares, and there are no voting minority interest holders. FuelCell also advises
the Staff that the Series 1 Preferred Shares are convertible into common stock
at the option of FuelCell, and that these preferred shareholders do not share
in
either the earnings of FuelCell or FuelCell Energy, Ltd. Given these facts,
FuelCell believes that there is no minority interest to be accounted for in
the
consolidated financial statements and that the classification of the preferred
shares of its subsidiary is properly classified under the shareholders’ equity
heading on the consolidated balance sheet.
The
Staff
also referred to Item 5-02-28 of Regulation S-X, which requires separate
classification, not to be included under a general heading of stockholders
equity, for “preferred stock subject to mandatory redemption requirements or
whose redemption is outside the control of the issuer.” FuelCell advises the
Staff that its Series I Preferred Shares are only convertible at the option
of
the holder into a number of our common shares and are not redeemable, at the
option of the holder, for cash or other assets. FuelCell believes that its
shares of Series I Preferred Shares do not fall within the Scope of EITF D-98
(paragraph 2), which refers to Rule
5-02.28 of Regulation S-X as
requiring preferred securities that are redeemable
for cash or other assets to be classified outside of permanent
equity.
Based
on that guidance, FuelCell believes that its Series I Preferred Shares are
properly classified under the shareholders’ equity heading on the consolidated
balance sheet.
Note
12. Shareholders’ Equity, page 85
Preferred
Shares of Subsidiary, page 87
3.
FuelCell
advises the Staff that it followed Statement of Financial Accounting
Standard No. 141, “Business Combinations” (“SFAS 141”), in accounting for
the Series I Preferred Shares issued in connection with its acquisition
of
Global Thermoelectric Inc. (“Global”). These shares were valued with the
assistance of a valuation expert using the income approach to estimate
the
fair value of the securities based on expected future economic benefits.
In applying this method, cash flows were estimated for the life of
the
securities and then discounted to present value to arrive at an indication
of fair value. The amounts projected and then discounted include
future
dividend payments and conversion of the securities in 2020. Implicit
in
this valuation are certain assumptions regarding timing and payment
of
dividends and the ultimate conversion of the securities. FuelCell
advises
the Staff that it is accreting the value of the preferred shares
over the
life of the securities utilized in estimating future cash flows,
which was
assumed to be 2020.
Ms.
Kate
Tillan
Securities
and Exchange Commission
March
9,
2006
Page
4
4.
FuelCell
advises the Staff of the following facts regarding the Global Series
2
non-voting Preferred Shares which were ultimately replaced by Series
I
Preferred Shares issued by FuelCell Energy,
Ltd.
·
In
November 2003, the Company acquired Global Thermoelectric Inc. (“Global”)
which, at the time, was a publicly traded Canadian
company.
·
At
the time of acquisition, Global had 1,000,000 shares of Series 2
non-voting preferred outstanding which were convertible into Global
common
stock. With the acquisition by FuelCell, Global became a subsidiary
of
FuelCell and the Series 2 non-voting preferred shares became convertible
into FuelCell common stock.
·
In
conjunction with the November 2003 acquisition of Global, as described
in
response 3 above and disclosed in Note 3 and Note 12 to the consolidated
financial statements, the Series 2 non-voting Preferred Shares were
determined to have fair value at the time of approximately $9.1
million.
·
In
May 2004, FuelCell sold Global and its generator product line. FuelCell
retained certain assets and obligations of the Global which were
transferred into FuelCell Energy, Ltd., another wholly owned subsidiary
of
FuelCell.
·
With
the sale of Global, the Series 2 Preferred Shares were cancelled
and
replaced with equivalent Series I Preferred Shares issued by FuelCell
Energy, Ltd. There were no changes to the conversion features or
the term
of the preferred shares in this
transaction.
Ms.
Kate
Tillan
Securities
and Exchange Commission
March
9,
2006
Page
5
Given
these facts, FuelCell views this exchange as solely a legal issue with no
accounting consequences and no underlying change in the fair value initially
determined when FuelCell acquired Global.
5.
FuelCell
advises the Staff that future dividend requirements of the Series
I
Preferred Shares were incorporated into the initial determination
of their
fair value. The fair value was determined in accordance with SFAS
141, as
discussed in response 3 above, using the income approach to estimate
the
future economic benefits. In applying this method, cash flows were
estimated for the life of the securities and then discounted to present
value to arrive at an indication of fair value. Accordingly, cumulative
unpaid dividends have been accrued into the value of “Preferred shares of
subsidiary” on FuelCell’s consolidated balance
sheet.
FuelCell
advises the Staff that it can pay, at its discretion, any dividends on the
Series I Preferred Shares in the form of a dividend-in-kind payable in common
shares or cash. This includes any cumulative unpaid dividends and interest,
which at October 31, 2005 totaled approximately $3.5 million.
The
Staff
refers to Item 5-02-27 of Regulation S-X whereby amounts related to minority
interests in consolidated subsidiaries are required to be classified separately
from permanent equity on the consolidated balance sheet. FuelCell advises the
Staff that it owns 100% of its Canadian subsidiary, FuelCell Energy, Ltd.,
the
issuer of the Series I Preferred Shares, and there are no minority interest
holders. Given this fact, FuelCell believes that the classification of its
preferred shares of its subsidiary is properly classified under the
shareholders’ equity heading on the consolidated balance sheet.
In
future
filings, FuelCell will clarify its disclosures of the Series I Preferred Shares
to clearly indicate that accrued dividends are classified into “Preferred shares
of subsidiary” and that such dividends are payable in shares of common stock or
cash at the option of FuelCell.
Ms.
Kate
Tillan
Securities
and Exchange Commission
March
9,
2006
Page
6
Item
9A. Controls and Procedures, page 98
6.
FuelCell
acknowledges the Staff’s comment and advises the Staff that its disclosure
controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance
that
information required to be disclosed in the Company’s periodic SEC reports
is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods
specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is
accumulated and communicated to its principal executive officer and
principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions
regarding required disclosure.
In
future
filings, FuelCell will revise the language included in Item 9A, Controls and
Procedures to read as follows:
“The
Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed
to provide reasonable assurance
that
information required to be disclosed in the Company’s periodic SEC reports is
recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified
in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and
communicated to its principal executive officer and principal financial officer,
as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
We
carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation
of
our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the
effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and
procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that
evaluation, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial
officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures
were effective to provide a reasonable level of assurance in timely alerting
them to material i