CenterPoint Energy, Inc. $CNP Shares Newly Purchased by Ausbil Investment Management Ltd

Key Points

• Ausbil Investment Management purchased 58,066 CenterPoint Energy shares worth approximately $2.14 million, making the utility stock its 28th-largest holding and representing 1.1% of its portfolio.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.93 versus the reported share price of $38.50.
• CenterPoint reported quarterly EPS of $0.40, exceeding the $0.37 consensus estimate, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24, equivalent to a 2.5% annualized yield.

Ausbil Investment Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 58,066 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,137,000. CenterPoint Energy accounts for 1.1% of Ausbil Investment Management Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in CenterPoint Energy by 49.6% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 709 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in shares of CenterPoint Energy during the second quarter worth $38,000. Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CenterPoint Energy during the first quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of CenterPoint Energy in the second quarter valued at $40,000. 91.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of CenterPoint Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Jefferies Financial Group set a $50.00 price objective on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on CenterPoint Energy in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on CenterPoint Energy from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $44.93.

CenterPoint Energy Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:CNP opened at $38.50 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $25.36 billion, a PE ratio of 22.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $41.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $36.37 and a 12-month high of $45.26.

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

CenterPoint Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. CenterPoint Energy's payout ratio is currently 56.47%.

CenterPoint Energy Company Profile

CenterPoint Energy, Inc NYSE: CNP is an energy delivery company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company focuses on electric and natural gas utility operations, delivering essential energy to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

CenterPoint operates electric transmission and distribution systems in the Houston metropolitan area and parts of southwestern Indiana. It also provides natural gas distribution and related energy services in several states, including Texas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi and Ohio.

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