Skip to content

CNP

S&P 500
Weak · 37/100

CenterPoint Energy

Utilities
Multi-Utilities

$43.12

0.7%

Updated Today 7:15 PM ET

Price — Past Year

▲ Up 20.4% over the last 12 months

Price 50-day average 200-day averageSource: Yahoo Finance · refreshed daily
Key Metrics

Market Cap

$28.01B

P/E

25.99x

Forward P/E (est.)

23.73x

ROE

9.6%

Revenue Growth

1.4%

EPS Growth

9.6%

Profit Margin

5.7%

FCF Yield

7.9%

Debt / Equity

2.06x

ROIC

5.0%

Interest Coverage

Current Ratio

1.16x

Dividend Yield

2.1%

Implied Growth (rev. DCF)

Rating Score

37/100

Technical Analysis (Educational)
Research

Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what CNP's chart says today, with each tool explained.

Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. CNP trades near $43.12, above its 50-day average ($42.61) and 200-day average ($40.59). Price above both averages, with the shorter one above the longer, is the textbook definition of an uptrend — momentum favours buyers.

Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 53 it is in neutral territory — neither stretched nor washed out.

MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently positive — short-term momentum is improving.

Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. CNP's is $0.85 (~2.0% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.

Support & resistance. Over the last month CNP found buyers near $41.09 (support) and sellers near $43.70 (resistance); its 52-week range is $35.46–$44.47. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.

Volume. The latest session traded 1.2× the 20-day average — about normal. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.

Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.

Business Overview
Research

CenterPoint Energy (CNP) is a large-cap company in the Multi-Utilities industry, part of the Utilities sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $28.01B.

In its latest reported year it generated about $9.34B in revenue and $1.05B in net profit.

Our model rates CNP Weak (37/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.

Revenue Growth
Research

4Y CAGR

3.1%

Revenue moved from $8.26B in 2021 to $9.34B in 2025, a 3.1% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year was roughly flat (1.4%) year over year. Slower, mature growth is common for established businesses.

Profitability
Research

Gross Margin

Operating Margin

22.6%

Net Margin

11.3%

ROE

9.6%

CenterPoint Energy keeps about 5.7% of each sales dollar as net profit. Return on equity is 9.6% and return on invested capital about 5.0%. Margins are moderate — typical of a competitive but profitable business.

Debt Analysis
Research

Total Debt

$20.57B

Net Debt

$19.93B

Net Debt / EBITDA

9.44x

Debt / Equity

2.06x

Leverage: debt-to-equity is 2.1x, with a current ratio of 1.2x. That is elevated leverage, which raises risk if earnings or rates move against it. It carries roughly $20.57B of total debt against $639.00M of cash.

Cash Flow Analysis
Research

Operating CF

$2.49B

Free Cash Flow

-$2.38B

FCF Margin

-25.5%

In the latest year CenterPoint Energy produced about $2.49B of operating cash flow but negative free cash flow as it invested heavily. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 7.9% on today's price. Strong cash generation funds dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment.

Valuation Analysis
Research

P/E

25.99x

P/S

3.89x

P/B

2.22x

EV / EBITDA

13.27x

CNP trades at 26.0x trailing earnings (about 23.7x on estimated forward earnings), 3.9x sales, and 2.2x book value. That is a premium multiple that needs growth to justify it.

Metrics vs. Typical Range

Where this stock sits versus what most companies trade at.

TTM P/E
26.0xFair
Forward P/E
23.7xFair
P/S ratio
3.9xExpensive
Revenue growth
1.4%Weak
EPS growth
9.6%Average
Gross margin
Net margin
5.7%Weak
ROE
9.6%Weak

Typical ranges are general references (e.g., many stocks trade at ~18–26x earnings), not hard rules. Context only — not investment advice.

Sector Peer Comparison

How CNP stacks up against its Utilities peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.

In the Utilities sector (31 S&P 500 companies), CNP ranks #29 of 31 by our overall rating. It trades at a premium versus the sector on earnings (26x P/E vs. 21.8x median) with a lower return on equity (9.6% vs. 10.4%) and slower revenue growth (1.4% vs. 9.0%).

P/E vs sector

26x

median 21.8x

ROE vs sector

9.6%

median 10.4%

Growth vs sector

1.4%

median 9.0%

Sector rank

#29

of 31 by rating

CompanyP/ERev Gr.Rating
CNPThis stock26x1.4%Weak· 37
AEE19.7x12.3%Favorable· 64
DTE24.4x-15.5%Weak· 34
CMS20.5x12.7%Neutral· 54
NI23.4x15.7%Neutral· 57
PCG12.3x5.3%Neutral· 51
ED18.1x9.1%Neutral· 56
XEL23.1x8.0%Neutral· 52
Utilities median21.8x9.0%54/100

Valuation vs. quality map

sector medianAEEDTECMSNIPCGEDXELCNPP/E — cheaper ←→ pricierROE — more profitable ↑

The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.

Compare side by side

Peers are the closest Utilities companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 31 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.

5-Year Projection Model

Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.

2030 price target (Base Case)

$29.12$47.32

vs. $43.12 today · expected CAGR -8%2%

Metric20262027202820292030
Revenue$9.62B$9.91B$10.20B$10.51B$10.82B
Net income$1.06B$1.09B$1.12B$1.16B$1.19B
EPS$1.62$1.67$1.72$1.77$1.82
Share price (low)$25.87$26.65$27.45$28.27$29.12
Share price (high)$42.05$43.31$44.61$45.94$47.32
CAGR (low–high)-40% / -2%-21% / 0%-14% / 1%-10% / 2%-8% / 2%

Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.

Bull Case

The case for CNP:

  • Healthy free-cash-flow yield (~7.9%) funds buybacks and dividends.
  • Pays a 2.1% dividend on top of any price gains.
Bear Case

The case against CNP:

  • Revenue growth is slow (1.4%), limiting the upside engine.
  • Elevated leverage (debt/equity 2.1x) adds financial risk.
  • Our model's overall read is Weak (37/100).
Key Risks
Research

Balance-sheet risk — debt/equity of 2.1x magnifies the impact of higher rates or weaker earnings.

Growth risk — sluggish revenue (1.4%) leaves little margin for execution missteps.

Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.

Investment Thesis
Research

On balance, the fundamentals screen weakly: CenterPoint Energy is a large-cap utilities business growing at a mature pace, with modest profitability, and a heavier debt load to watch. It trades at 26.0x earnings, which our model scores Weak (37/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.

Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.

Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.