CNP
Utilities · Utilities - Regulated Electric
Performance
CNP (CNP) Stock Analysis 2026
Rule-based · Updated daily · Not financial advice
CNP (CNP) operates in the Utilities - Regulated Electric space within the Utilities sector. With a market cap of $28.6B, it qualifies as a mid-cap company. Growth is moderate and the business remains profitable, offering a balanced risk/reward profile compared to high-multiple peers.
- Forward P/E (21.0×) is lower than trailing P/E (26.8×) — analysts expect earnings to improve
- Healthy profit margin of 11.4%
- Dividend yield of 2.14% provides consistent income on top of price appreciation
- Low beta of 0.46 — less volatile than the market, suitable for conservative portfolios
- P/E of 26.8× is above average — valuation requires continued strong growth to justify
- High debt-to-equity of 215.59× increases financial risk, especially with elevated interest rates
- Price is near its 52-week high — limited near-term upside, higher pullback risk
Verdict
Buy / Hold
More positives than negatives. Fundamentals support holding while monitoring key risks.
AI Insight
Powered by ClaudeAI-generated analysis for informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
Related Articles
Revenue & Results
Dividends
Current DY
2.14%
5Y Avg Annual
$0.7240
Last Payment
$0.2300
Ex-Date
05/21/2026
Annual dividends paid per share
| Ex-Date | Payment | Amount | Est. DY |
|---|---|---|---|
Latest05/21/2026 | 06/11/2026 | $0.2300 | 2.11% |
02/19/2026 | 03/12/2026 | $0.2300 | 2.11% |
11/20/2025 | 12/11/2025 | $0.2200 | 2.02% |
08/21/2025 | 09/11/2025 | $0.2200 | 2.02% |
05/15/2025 | 06/05/2025 | $0.2200 | 2.02% |
02/20/2025 | 03/13/2025 | $0.2200 | 2.02% |
11/21/2024 | 12/12/2024 | $0.2100 | 1.92% |
08/15/2024 | 09/05/2024 | $0.2000 | 1.83% |
Magic Number
Shares needed to self-fund your next purchase
$43.65
Price
$0.2300
Last div. (quarterly)
190
shares
Own 190 CNP shares ($8,292.55) and each quarterly dividend pays for 1 new share — the snowball runs on its own.
Investment target
$8,292.55
New shares / year
+4 shares
If You Had Invested…
Hypothetical return based on historical prices
* Dividend reinvestment calculated at ex-date price. For informational purposes only.
Earnings
Next Earnings
Jul 23, 2026
37
days
EPS (TTM)
$1.63
P/E (TTM)
26.8
Fwd P/E
21.0
Earnings History
SEC EDGAR · official filings
SEC Filings
Official EDGAR documents
Key Statistics
Valuation
Trading
Dividends
Profitability
Balance Sheet
Fair Value Estimates
Current price: $43.65
Graham Number
√(22.5 × EPS × Book Value)
$25.34
Benjamin Graham's intrinsic value formula. Assumes a fair stock trades at no more than 22.5× the product of EPS and book value per share.
Bazin Ceiling Price
Avg. Annual DPS (5Y) ÷ 6%
$12.70
Décio Bazin's dividend-based ceiling. The max price you should pay so that dividends alone deliver at least 6% annual yield on your cost basis.
These are simplified estimates. Not financial advice.
Buy & Hold Checklist
Quality criteria for long-term holding
8/10
80% score
Pays dividends
15Y hist.15+ years of dividend history
Dividend consistency (5Y+)
15 yrsUninterrupted dividend payments for at least 5 years
ROE above 10%
9.6%Return on equity — measures how efficiently capital is used
Positive profit margin
11.4%Net profit margin must be positive — company earns more than it spends
Revenue growth (annual)
+1.9%Annual revenue must be growing compared to the prior year
Earnings growth (annual)
+6.7%Annual earnings must be growing compared to the prior year
Debt/Equity below 2×
215.59×Low financial leverage reduces risk of distress
Current ratio above 1
1.17×Short-term assets must cover short-term liabilities
Daily liquidity above $5M
$215M/dayHigh trading volume ensures easy entry and exit
Dividend yield above 0%
2.14%Stock must distribute income to shareholders
Related Assets
Utilities
About CNP
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through Electric; Natural Gas; and Corporate and Other segments. The Electric segment provides electric transmission and distribution services to electric customers and electric generation assets, as well as optimizes assets in the wholesale power market in Indiana Electric's service territory. The Natural Gas segment engages in the intrastate natural gas sales, and natural gas transportation and distribution for residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas; permanent pipeline connections through interconnects with various interstate and intrastate pipeline companies; and provides home appliance maintenance and repair services to customers in Minnesota and home repair protection plans to natural gas customers in Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, and Texas through a third party. As of December 31, 2025, it served approximately 2,859,313 metered customers; owned 355 substations with transformer capacity of 81,692 megavolt amperes; and owned and operated approximately 208 miles of intrastate pipeline in Louisiana and Texas. The company was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Sector
Utilities
Industry
Utilities - Regulated Electric
Location
Houston, United States
Employees
8,794