CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.17 EPS
by Renee Jackson · The Cerbat GemCenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP – Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The utilities provider reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.17, FiscalAI reports. CenterPoint Energy had a return on equity of 10.46% and a net margin of 11.24%.The company had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.98 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.53 earnings per share. CenterPoint Energy updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.890-1.910 EPS.
Here are the key takeaways from CenterPoint Energy’s conference call:
- Reported Q1 non-GAAP EPS of $0.56, reiterated full‑year 2026 non‑GAAP EPS guidance of $1.89–$1.91 (midpoint ~8% growth vs. 2025) and reaffirmed long‑term 7%–9% annual EPS growth through 2035.
- Houston Electric now has 12.2 GW of firmly committed industrial load (diversified across ~20 projects), with ~8 GW positioned to be energized by 2029; 3.2 GW already ERCOT‑approved and filings for the remaining ~9 GW are imminent.
- Capital plan execution is on track—$1.2B invested in Q1 toward a $6.8B 2026 target—and management expects to fold >$10B of incremental projects into its $65.5B 10‑year plan as a transmission refresh completes; several Texas capital trackers (DCRF, TCOS, GRIP) advanced with new rates effective in June.
- Indiana may capture a transformational large‑load opportunity (~1.5 GW) by converting a simple‑cycle to combined‑cycle, implied incremental CapEx of roughly $1B (within 2027–2029) and an estimated ~$250M in residential bill savings over 15 years from the initial load.
- Near‑term headwinds reduced quarterly comparatives—milder weather (-$0.02), higher interest expense (-$0.04) and loss of earnings from recently divested LA/MS businesses (-$0.05)—and adjusted FFO/debt was 12.5% due to pulled‑forward debt issuances, though management expects this to normalize by year‑end.
CenterPoint Energy Stock Performance
CNP stock traded up $0.82 during trading on Thursday, reaching $42.94. The stock had a trading volume of 1,509,065 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,201,404. CenterPoint Energy has a 52 week low of $35.46 and a 52 week high of $44.47. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $43.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $40.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. The firm has a market cap of $28.09 billion, a PE ratio of 26.82, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.54.
CenterPoint Energy Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued 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 2.1%. CenterPoint Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 57.50%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
CNP has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America increased their price objective on CenterPoint Energy from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on CenterPoint Energy in a research report on Tuesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $48.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised CenterPoint Energy from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $42.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $37.00 price objective on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CenterPoint Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.15.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on CenterPoint Energy
Key CenterPoint Energy News
Here are the key news stories impacting CenterPoint Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Truist Securities initiated coverage with a buy / strong‑buy, which adds upward pressure by improving institutional demand and visibility for the stock. Truist initiates coverage
- Positive Sentiment: Company reported stronger operational Q1 results: non‑GAAP EPS $0.56 (GAAP $0.48), revenue ~$2.98B and cited growth plus regulatory recovery as drivers — this supports near‑term earnings confidence. Company press release on Q1 results
- Positive Sentiment: Management reiterated FY‑2026 EPS guidance (1.890–1.910) and highlighted Houston Electric load growth — guidance stability plus load/regulated recovery supports rate‑base and cash‑flow expectations. TipRanks coverage of results and outlook
- Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains mixed: some firms (Truist) upgraded while aggregated broker ratings still show a “Hold” consensus — this produces offsetting flows (buy interest vs. cautious holders). Coverage consensus note
- Neutral Sentiment: Market estimates vs. company results are mixed: different outlets cite different benchmarks (company beat some consensus numbers cited by services but was slightly shy of others), so investor interpretation varies. Zacks pre‑earnings preview
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks reported the quarter “lagged” its own estimates (Zacks EPS estimate $0.58 vs. reported $0.56) and flagged revenue/estimate discrepancies — this headline can cause short‑term selling or cautious positioning. Zacks: Q1 earnings and revenues lag estimates
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in CenterPoint Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA lifted its holdings in CenterPoint Energy by 66.7% in the third quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 1,250 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in CenterPoint Energy in the second quarter valued at about $71,000. Arax Advisory Partners bought a new position in CenterPoint Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $81,000. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its holdings in CenterPoint Energy by 132.2% in the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,534 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $135,000 after acquiring an additional 2,012 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 91.77% of the company’s stock.
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.