Brokerages Set CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP) Target Price at $44.15

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $44.1538.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen cut CenterPoint Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. BMO Capital Markets raised CenterPoint Energy from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $42.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Barclays boosted their price target on CenterPoint Energy from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Bank of America boosted their price target on CenterPoint Energy from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on CenterPoint Energy from $44.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CenterPoint Energy

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in CenterPoint Energy in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy in the third quarter worth about $26,000. LRI Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of CenterPoint Energy by 107.9% in the third quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 684 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 355 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in shares of 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 worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.77% of the company’s stock.

CenterPoint Energy Stock Performance

CNP opened at $42.44 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.54. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $43.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $40.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. CenterPoint Energy has a 12-month low of $35.46 and a 12-month high of $44.47.

CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The utilities provider reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.98 billion. CenterPoint Energy had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 10.56%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.53 EPS. CenterPoint Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.890-1.910 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that CenterPoint Energy will post 1.91 earnings per share for the current year.

CenterPoint Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. CenterPoint Energy’s payout ratio is currently 57.50%.

CenterPoint Energy News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CenterPoint Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results showed revenue growth and stronger net income year-over-year, driven in part by regulatory recovery; management reiterated full-year 2026 guidance which reduces downside surprise risk. BusinessWire: Q1 results & guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly profit rose notably as data-center demand lifted electricity distribution volumes and margins, a demand trend that supports future earnings growth. Reuters: Profit rises on data-center demand
• Positive Sentiment: Truist Securities initiated coverage with a Buy, which can attract investor interest and provide support to the stock. MSN/Truist initiation
• Neutral Sentiment: Company provided earnings call materials and a full transcript for Q1 — useful for modeling but not an immediate catalyst. Seeking Alpha: Earnings call transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: FY-2026 EPS guidance was set at $1.890–$1.910, effectively in line with consensus — limits upside surprise but provides clarity to cash-flow expectations. MarketBeat: Guidance & metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Reported non-GAAP EPS of $0.56 missed the Street by ~$0.02, a modest miss that can prompt short-term selling pressure. Zacks: EPS missed estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media flagged higher expenses and rising debt levels; debt-to-equity is elevated, which could limit capital flexibility if costs or rates change. Zacks: Expenses & debt concerns
• Negative Sentiment: CenterPoint disclosed an emerging regulatory/business risk that TipRanks says could threaten earnings, capital flexibility and shareholder returns — a potential longer-term headwind for the stock. TipRanks: Emerging business risks

About CenterPoint Energy

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.