SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) April 30, 2003
Commission Registrant; State of Incorporation; I.R.S. Employer
File Number Address; and Telephone Number Identification No.
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333-21011 FIRSTENERGY CORP. 34-1843785
(An Ohio Corporation)
76 South Main Street
Akron, Ohio 44308
Telephone (800)736-3402
Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Statements and Exhibits
(c) Exhibits.
Exhibit No. Description
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99.1 Press Release issued by FirstEnergy Corp., dated April 30, 2003
99.2 Consolidated Report to the Financial Community, dated
April 30, 2003
Item 9. Regulation FD Disclosure
The information in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including the exhibits
listed above, is being furnished, not filed, under Item 9 pursuant to Regulation
FD and Item 12, "Disclosure of Results of Operations and Financial Condition" in
accordance with SEC Release Nos. 33-8216 and 34-47583. The information in this
report and in such exhibits shall not be incorporated by reference into any
registration statement filed pursuit to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On April 30, 2003, FirstEnergy Corp. issued two public announcements, which
are attached as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2 hereto and incorporated by reference.
FirstEnergy's Consolidated Report to the Financial Community contains
non-GAAP financial measures. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a
numerical measure of a company's historical or future financial performance,
financial position, or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that
are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure
calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States, or GAAP. Pursuant to the requirements of
Regulation G, FirstEnergy has provided quantitative reconciliations within the
Consolidated Report to the Financial Community of the non-GAAP financial
measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.
The Consolidated Report to the Financial Community includes normalized
earnings per share, which is not calculated in accordance with GAAP because it
excludes the impact of "unusual or one-time items". Unusual items reflect the
impact on earnings of events that are not routine, are related to prior periods,
are related to discontinued businesses or the cumulative effect of an accounting
change. Management believes presenting normalized earnings calculated in this
manner provides useful information to investors in evaluating the ongoing
results of FirstEnergy's businesses and assists investors in comparing the
company's operating performance to the operating performance of others in the
energy sector. FirstEnergy's management frequently references these non-GAAP
financial measures in its decision-making, using them to facilitate historical
and ongoing performance comparisons as well as comparisons to the performance of
peer companies.
The non-GAAP information presented in the Consolidated Report to the
Financial Community should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute
for, reported earnings per share prepared in accordance with GAAP.
This Form 8-K includes forward-looking statements based on information
currently available to management. Such statements are subject to certain risks
and uncertainties. These statements typically contain, but are not limited to,
the terms "anticipate," "potential," "expect," "believe," "estimate" and similar
words. Actual results may differ materially due to the speed and nature of
increased competition and deregulation in the electric utility industry,
economic or weather conditions affecting future sales and margins, changes in
markets for energy services, changing energy market prices, legislative and
regulatory changes (including revised environmental requirements), availability
and cost of capital, inability to accomplish or realize anticipated benefits of
strategic goals and other similar factors.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
May 1, 2003
FIRSTENERGY CORP.
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Registrant
/s/Harvey L. Wagner
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Harvey L. Wagner
Vice President, Controller
and Chief Accounting Officer
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