CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• CenterPoint Energy has a “Moderate Buy” consensus from 17 brokerages, with nine buy ratings and eight holds. The average 12-month price target is $45.36, above the reported share price of $39.09.
• The utility provider exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.40 versus the $0.37 consensus and revenue of $2.15 billion. It also raised its quarterly dividend from $0.23 to $0.24 per share, implying a 2.5% annualized yield.
• Institutional investors own 91.77% of CenterPoint’s shares, with several institutions increasing their positions during the second quarter.

Shares of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the seventeen brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $45.3571.

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research report on Monday, June 15th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of CenterPoint Energy from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of CenterPoint Energy from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $50.00 price target on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a report on Thursday, June 18th.

CenterPoint Energy Price Performance

NYSE:CNP opened at $39.09 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $42.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $42.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.46. CenterPoint Energy has a 12-month low of $36.60 and a 12-month high of $45.26.

CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The utilities provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $2.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.12 billion. CenterPoint Energy had a return on equity of 11.10% and a net margin of 11.61%.During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. CenterPoint Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.890-1.910 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that CenterPoint Energy will post 1.91 earnings per share for the current year.

CenterPoint Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is an increase from CenterPoint Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. CenterPoint Energy's dividend payout ratio is 56.47%.

Institutional Trading of CenterPoint Energy

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in CenterPoint Energy by 4,309.9% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 33,404,472 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,471,133,000 after buying an additional 32,646,983 shares during the period. HB Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in CenterPoint Energy by 17.7% in the 2nd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 34,657 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,526,000 after purchasing an additional 5,207 shares in the last quarter. Saudi Central Bank raised its stake in CenterPoint Energy by 89.6% in the 2nd quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 45,701 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,013,000 after purchasing an additional 21,603 shares in the last quarter. AlphaGrep UK Ltd acquired a new stake in CenterPoint Energy in the 2nd quarter worth about $472,000. Finally, Shah Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in CenterPoint Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $470,000. 91.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CenterPoint Energy Company Profile

CenterPoint Energy, Inc NYSE: CNP is a Houston-based regulated utility company that provides electric and natural gas delivery services and related infrastructure operations. The company's principal activities center on the transmission and distribution of electricity in the greater Houston metropolitan area and the distribution of natural gas to customers across several states in the Midwest and South. As a vertically integrated utility, CenterPoint focuses on the reliable delivery of energy through owned and operated networks of lines, pipelines and associated facilities.

CenterPoint's core businesses include regulated electric transmission and distribution services, regulated natural gas distribution, and the operation and maintenance of energy infrastructure.

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