DAYTON POWER & LIGHT CO 8-K

What Happened
Dayton Power & Light Company (doing business as AES Ohio) filed an 8‑K reporting that on July 23, 2026 its Board dismissed Ernst & Young LLP (EY) as the company’s independent registered public accounting firm because EY will no longer be independent with respect to The AES Corporation and its subsidiaries following the closing of the announced merger involving AES and Horizon Parent, L.P. The Board engaged KPMG LLP on July 23, 2026 to serve as the Company’s independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, with the change to be effective upon filing the Company’s Form 10‑Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026.

Key Details

• Dismissal and KPMG engagement were decided by the Board on July 23, 2026.
• The auditor change is tied to the announced Merger of AES with Horizon Parent, L.P. (transaction parties include investment vehicles affiliated with Global Infrastructure Management, LLC and EQT Infrastructure VI).
• EY’s audit reports for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2025 were unqualified (no adverse opinions or disclaimers) and there were no disagreements or reportable events for 2024, 2025 or the interim period through this filing.
• EY provided a letter dated July 27, 2026 regarding the matters disclosed in the 8‑K.

Why It Matters
An auditor change is material because it affects who reviews and signs the company’s financial statements. Here, the change is procedural and driven by auditor independence issues arising from a pending corporate transaction (the AES merger), not by disputes over accounting or audit quality—EY’s prior reports were unmodified and the company reports no disagreements. Investors should note the timing: the change becomes effective with the Company’s Q2 2026 Form 10‑Q filing. Continued review by a nationally recognized firm (KPMG) aims to maintain continuity in financial reporting during the merger process.