Free Trial

CenterPoint Energy (CNP) Stock Forecast & Price Target

CenterPoint Energy logo
$38.40 -0.13 (-0.33%)
Closing price 10/8/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$39.18 +0.78 (+2.02%)
As of 06:06 AM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more.

CenterPoint Energy - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
7
Buy
9

Based on 16 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for CenterPoint Energy in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 16 analysts, 7 have given a hold rating, and 9 have given a buy rating for CNP.

Consensus Price Target

$44.81
16.69% Upside
According to the 16 analysts' twelve-month price targets for CenterPoint Energy, the average price target is $44.81. The highest price target for CNP is $50.00, while the lowest price target for CNP is $38.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 16.69% from the current price of $38.40.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
Get the Latest News and Ratings for CNP and Related Stocks

Enter your email address to receive the latest news and analysts' ratings for CenterPoint Energy and its competitors.

Sign Up
SMS is currently available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. By entering your phone number and clicking the sign-up button, you agree to receive periodic text messages from MarketBeat at the phone number you submitted, including texts that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary. Messages will consist of stock alerts, news stories, and partner advertisements/offers. Consent is not a condition of the purchase of any goods or services. Text HELP for help/customer support. Unsubscribe at any time by replying "STOP" to any text message that you receive from MarketBeat or by visiting our mailing preferences page. Read our full terms of service and privacy policy.

CNP Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
10/9/25 to 10/9/26
1 Month Ago
9/9/25 to 9/9/26
3 Months Ago
7/11/25 to 7/11/26
1 Year Ago
10/9/24 to 10/9/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
9 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
8 Buy rating(s)
5 Buy rating(s)
Hold
7 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$44.81$45.36$44.69$38.86
Forecasted Upside16.69% Upside14.01% Upside2.53% Upside-0.66% Downside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyHoldHold

CNP Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

CNP Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

CenterPoint Energy Stock vs. The Competition

TypeCenterPoint EnergyUtilities CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.56
2.41
2.52
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside16.69% Upside66.20% Upside19.63% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent CNP News
Positive News
Neutral News
Report Date
0 Results
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
10/8/2026
Citigroup Inc. logo
Citigroup
4 of 5 stars
Ryan Levine
1 of 5 stars
Lower TargetNeutral$47.00 ➝ $43.00+11.50%
9/18/2026
Morgan Stanley logo
Morgan Stanley
3 of 5 stars
David Arcaro
David Arcaro
3 of 5 stars
Lower TargetEqual Weight$39.00 ➝ $38.00-0.81%
9/15/2026Initiated CoverageSector Perform$40.00+3.55%
9/11/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy (B)
8/17/2026 Set Target$43.00+6.12%
8/4/2026Lower TargetBuy$48.00 ➝ $46.00+11.51%
7/29/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform$49.00+10.95%
7/23/2026Lower TargetOverweight$47.00 ➝ $46.00+5.23%
7/22/2026Lower TargetOutperform$48.00 ➝ $47.00+7.60%
7/16/2026Boost TargetNeutral$45.00 ➝ $47.00+9.72%
6/30/2026 Initiated CoverageNeutral
6/18/2026Set Target$50.00+16.95%
4/21/2026 Reiterated RatingOverweight$48.00+12.45%
4/15/2026Boost TargetEqual Weight$38.00 ➝ $44.00+2.52%
4/15/2026Boost TargetNeutral$42.00 ➝ $44.00+2.52%
2/23/2026Set Target$44.00+3.18%
12/17/2025Lower TargetBuy$45.00 ➝ $43.00+13.23%
10/24/2025Boost TargetSector Outperform$42.00 ➝ $45.00+13.77%
4/4/2025UpgradeHold
1/23/2025DowngradeBuy ➝ Neutral
12/12/2024Initiated CoverageBuy$34.50+9.80%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Friday at 07:02 AM ET.


Should I Buy CenterPoint Energy Stock? CNP Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these CenterPoint Energy pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

CenterPoint Energy
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in CenterPoint Energy, Inc.:

  • CenterPoint Energy, Inc. recently completed the sale of its Ohio natural gas business to National Fuel Gas Company for $2.62 billion, a transaction that allows the company to streamline its portfolio and focus on its core electric and natural gas utility operations in other regions.
  • The company is actively executing the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative, which involves installing over 83,500 storm-resilient poles and more than 850 automation devices to build the most resilient coastal grid in the nation, a project on track to prevent 150 million customer outage minutes in 2026.
  • CenterPoint Energy, Inc. offers a stable income stream with a quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share, which represents an annualized yield of approximately 2.6% and provides a consistent return for income-focused investors.
  • The stock is currently trading at $38.50, which is below the consensus price target of $44.93 set by analysts, suggesting potential upside for investors who believe the market is undervaluing the company's recent strategic moves and resiliency investments.
  • CenterPoint Energy, Inc. recently won a $50 million grant from the US Energy Department, which supports its infrastructure development and grid modernization efforts, potentially reducing the financial burden of capital expenditures.

CenterPoint Energy
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in CenterPoint Energy, Inc. for these reasons:

  • The stock recently hit a 52-week low of $36.37, indicating significant downward price momentum and potential investor concern about the company's near-term performance or sector-wide pessimism.
  • CenterPoint Energy, Inc. carries a high debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, which means the company relies heavily on borrowed funds to finance its operations and capital projects, increasing financial risk in a rising interest rate environment.
  • Short interest in the stock has been increasing, with the number of shares shorted rising to 46,673,652 in the most recent reporting period, suggesting that a significant portion of the market is betting against the stock's future price appreciation.
  • The company's current P/E ratio of 22.65 is relatively high for a utility stock, which may indicate that the stock is overvalued relative to its earnings, especially when compared to the broader utility sector average.
  • CenterPoint Energy, Inc. has a beta of 0.47, which, while indicating lower volatility than the market, also suggests that the stock may underperform during strong market rallies, limiting its potential for capital appreciation in a bullish economic environment.

CNP Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 16 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for CenterPoint Energy is $44.81, with a high forecast of $50.00 and a low forecast of $38.00.

16 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for CenterPoint Energy in the last twelve months. There are currently 7 hold ratings and 9 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" CNP shares.

According to analysts, CenterPoint Energy's stock has a predicted upside of 16.69% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

CenterPoint Energy has been rated by research analysts at BMO Capital Markets, Citigroup, Evercore, JPMorgan Chase & Co., KeyCorp, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank Of Canada, Truist Financial, Weiss Ratings, and Wolfe Research in the past 90 days.

Analysts like CenterPoint Energy more than other "utilities" companies. The consensus rating for CenterPoint Energy is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "utilities" companies is Hold. Learn more on how CNP compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for CenterPoint Energy analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 10/8/2026.
From Our Partners