UBS Group AG Acquires 1,728,865 Shares of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. $CNP

UBS Group AG increased its stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP) by 31.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 7,261,079 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,728,865 shares during the period. UBS Group AG’s holdings in CenterPoint Energy were worth $278,390,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of CNP. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy during the third quarter worth $25,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy during the third quarter worth $26,000. LRI Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of CenterPoint Energy by 107.9% during 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 during the period. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in CenterPoint Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in CenterPoint Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors own 91.77% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley restated an “underperform” rating and set a $37.00 price objective on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of CenterPoint Energy from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $42.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on CenterPoint Energy from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, CenterPoint Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.15.

CenterPoint Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CNP opened at $43.14 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.16. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $35.46 and a 52 week high of $44.47. The firm has a market cap of $28.22 billion, a PE ratio of 26.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.54. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $43.05 and its 200-day moving average is $40.57.

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

CenterPoint Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. CenterPoint Energy’s payout ratio is currently 56.44%.

CenterPoint Energy Profile

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.