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CenterPoint Energy (CNP) Stock Forecast & Price Target

CenterPoint Energy logo
$36.85 +0.03 (+0.08%)
Closing price 09/25/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$36.84 -0.01 (-0.02%)
As of 09/25/2026 07:30 PM 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
9
Buy
9

Based on 18 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 18 analysts, 9 have given a hold rating, and 9 have given a buy rating for CNP.

Consensus Price Target

$44.93
21.94% Upside
According to the 18 analysts' twelve-month price targets for CenterPoint Energy, the average price target is $44.93. 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 21.94% from the current price of $36.85.
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.
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CNP Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/27/25 to 9/27/26
1 Month Ago
8/28/25 to 8/28/26
3 Months Ago
6/29/25 to 6/29/26
1 Year Ago
9/27/24 to 9/27/25
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)
6 Buy rating(s)
Hold
9 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$44.93$45.36$44.69$38.41
Forecasted Upside21.94% Upside15.59% Upside-0.24% Downside-1.10% 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.
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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.
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CenterPoint Energy Stock vs. The Competition

TypeCenterPoint EnergyUtilities CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.50
2.37
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside21.94% Upside70.80% Upside19.20% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent CNP News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
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
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
5 of 5 stars
 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%
2/19/2026 Reiterated RatingNeutral
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 Sunday at 11:06 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 Thursday, September 24, 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 announced it was selected to receive a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to strengthen and modernize the electric grid in Greater Houston, positioning the company as one of the first U.S. utilities to deploy industry-leading substation technology to enhance resiliency and reliability.
  • The company recently increased its quarterly dividend to $0.24 per share, up from the previous $0.23, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of approximately 2.54% based on the current stock price of $36.82, which offers a steady income stream for investors.
  • CenterPoint Energy, Inc. reported second-quarter earnings of $0.40 per share, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $0.37, while also generating revenue of $2.15 billion, which exceeded the expected $2.12 billion, demonstrating strong operational performance.
  • With a beta of 0.46, the stock exhibits lower volatility compared to the broader market, making it a potentially stable investment option for investors seeking to reduce portfolio risk during periods of market uncertainty.
  • Despite recent price declines, the stock is trading at $36.82, which is below the consensus price target of $44.93, suggesting potential upside value for investors who believe the market has overreacted to recent negative sentiment.

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 new 52-week low of $36.72, trading at $36.82, which is significantly below its 50-day moving average of $40.62 and 200-day moving average of $42.17, indicating a strong downward trend and potential continued selling pressure.
  • Short interest in the company has increased to 46,673,652 shares as of September 15, 2026, representing a 5.61% month-over-month increase, which suggests that a growing number of investors are betting against the stock's future performance.
  • CenterPoint Energy, Inc. has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, indicating a high level of leverage relative to its equity, which could increase financial risk and limit the company's flexibility in managing its capital structure.
  • Several major financial institutions, including Morgan Stanley and BMO Capital Markets, have recently lowered their price targets on the stock, with Morgan Stanley cutting its target to $38.00 and BMO reducing its objective to $47.00, reflecting a more cautious outlook on the company's valuation.
  • The company's stock has underperformed the Nasdaq over the past year, with the price falling from a 52-week high of $45.26 to the current level of $36.82, indicating a significant decline in investor confidence and market value.

CNP Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 18 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for CenterPoint Energy is $44.93, with a high forecast of $50.00 and a low forecast of $38.00.

18 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for CenterPoint Energy in the last twelve months. There are currently 9 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 21.94% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

CenterPoint Energy has been rated by research analysts at BMO Capital Markets, BTIG Research, 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 9/18/2026.
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