Core Insights - CenterPoint Energy has mobilized approximately 3,300 employees and contract workers to prepare for a severe winter weather system impacting Houston and Southeast Texas [1][2] - The company has activated its Emergency Operations Center and secured an additional 600 frontline workers to enhance its response capabilities [2][6] - CenterPoint is coordinating with local officials and emergency agencies to monitor weather conditions and implement cold weather mitigations across its infrastructure [3][4] Workforce and Operations - The expanded workforce includes about 2,500 internal line workers and local contractors, alongside the newly secured 600 frontline workers [2][5] - Three staging sites have been established in strategic locations to pre-position resources for potential restoration efforts [5] - The Emergency Operations Center will remain active throughout the weekend to execute the cold weather action plan [2][4] Weather Preparedness - CenterPoint has conducted proactive measures to winterize its electric and natural gas infrastructure, including inspections and testing of critical equipment [6][14] - The company is actively monitoring weather models and has positioned Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks at 14 locations for potential deployment [14] - Over 19,000 hours of emergency training have been conducted in 2025 to enhance severe weather preparation and response [14] Community Support - CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to The Salvation Army to support disaster response capabilities in the Greater Houston area [9] - The foundation aims to enhance community resilience and safety during severe weather events [9] Customer Communication - Customers are encouraged to enroll in the Power Alert Service® for updates on winter storm outages and restoration times [10] - The company provides storm-related safety tips and encourages customers to prepare emergency plans [11][12]

Core Viewpoint - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving approximately 7 million metered customers across four states, with a significant asset base of $44 billion as of mid-2025 [1]. Company Overview - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and is the only Texas-domiciled investor-owned utility [1]. - The company has a workforce of approximately 8,300 employees and has been serving customers for over 150 years [1]. Financial Information - As of June 30, 2025, CenterPoint Energy reported approximately $44 billion in assets [1].

Core Insights - Three stocks are experiencing rising dividends due to increased demand for data centers, with some raising dividends by as much as 60%, indicating earnings stability and attractiveness for income investors [3]. Group 1: CenterPoint Energy (CNP) - CenterPoint Energy, a regulated utility company based in Houston, achieved a total return of approximately 24% in 2025, driven by data center expansion [3]. - The company forecasts a peak load demand increase of 10 GW by 2031, representing a 50% increase over six years [4]. - CenterPoint raised its quarterly dividend to 23 cents per share, marking a 4.5% increase from the previous payout, resulting in an indicated dividend yield of approximately 2.1% [5]. Group 2: TD SYNNEX (SNX) - TD SYNNEX, a distributor of personal computers and hardware, delivered a total return of just under 30% in 2025, with significant growth attributed to its Hyve division, which provides custom servers and networking solutions [6]. - The Hyve division's gross billings rose by more than 50% last quarter, driven by strong demand in cloud data center infrastructure from hyperscaler customers [8].

Core Insights - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) has a market capitalization of $25.9 billion and operates as a public utility holding company in the U.S., providing electric and natural gas services to over 2.8 million customers [1] Financial Performance - Analysts expect CNP to report an adjusted EPS of $0.47 for fiscal Q4 2025, reflecting a 17.5% increase from $0.40 in the same quarter last year [2] - For fiscal 2025, the projected adjusted EPS is $1.77, which is a 9.3% rise from $1.62 in fiscal 2024 [3] - In Q3 2025, CNP reported an adjusted EPS of $0.50, marking a more than 60% increase compared to Q3 2024, and net income of $293 million for the quarter [5] Stock Performance - CNP stock has risen by 21.1% over the past 52 weeks, outperforming the S&P 500 Index's gain of 16.9% and the State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF's return of 10.2% [4] Analyst Ratings - The consensus rating for CNP stock is "Moderate Buy," with 17 analysts providing coverage, including eight "Strong Buys" and nine "Holds" [6] - The average analyst price target for CenterPoint Energy is $42.40, suggesting a potential upside of 6.8% from current levels [6]

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Core Insights - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) is focused on systematic investments to enhance its infrastructure, improve transmission and distribution networks, upgrade the grid, and expand its renewable energy portfolio to provide clean energy to customers [1] - The company's long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 8.86% over the next three to five years [1] Tailwinds - Rising electricity consumption from residential and commercial sectors, driven by the electrification of transportation and buildings, as well as the growth of AI-based data centers, is increasing demand for utility services, leading to higher sales for CenterPoint Energy [2] Capital Investment Plan - CenterPoint Energy has a long-term capital investment plan of $65 billion for the period 2026-2035 aimed at modernizing the grid system, which includes upgrading underground distribution lines and installing self-healing automation devices to enhance grid resilience and reliability [3] - These investments are expected to reduce the frequency and duration of outages while lowering operating costs [3] Renewable Energy Expansion - The company is expanding its energy portfolio by adding renewable and clean energy sources, targeting approximately 1,000 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar generation capacity by 2026 [4] - Additionally, CenterPoint aims to add 200 MW each of wind and solar resources by 2030, with a potential need for an additional 400 MW of wind resources by 2032 [4] Headwinds - Tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on imports, including solar panels, pose a significant threat to the company's solar project development, potentially increasing costs and impacting the financial viability of projects [5] Price Performance - Over the past year, CNP shares have increased by 20.3%, although this growth lags behind the industry's growth of 21.1% [6] Zacks Rank & Comparisons - CenterPoint Energy currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), while competitors such as Dominion Energy, Inc. (D), NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE), and OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) have better rankings with Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [9] - These competitors have delivered average earnings surprises of 12.72%, 4.39%, and 10.45% over the last four quarters, respectively [9]

Market Overview - Tech stocks have experienced significant volatility recently, reversing the previous market rally that saw major indexes reach all-time highs [3] - Investors are increasingly moving away from high-growth tech stocks towards safer, dividend-paying stocks due to concerns over profitability in the AI investment surge [3][4] Economic Factors - The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by 25 basis points for the third time this year, but officials warn that aggressive cuts could complicate inflation control [5] - The unemployment rate has risen to 4.6% in November, contributing to economic concerns among investors [5] Dividend-Paying Stocks - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) announced a dividend of $0.23 per share with a yield of 2.30%, having increased its dividend eight times over the past five years [7][8] - Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (VAC) declared a dividend of $0.80 per share with a yield of 5.46%, having raised its dividend five times in five years [10][8] - PG&E Corporation (PCG) announced a dividend of $0.05 per share with a yield of 0.65%, having increased its dividend three times over the past five years [12][8] - Zoetis Inc. (ZTS) declared a dividend of $0.53 per share with a yield of 1.65%, having raised its dividend six times in five years [14][8]

Market Overview - The U.S. market has shown volatility, with returns of 19.2% for the Nasdaq Composite, 15.8% for the S&P 500, and 13.7% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the past year [1] - Concerns are rising regarding the moderating pace of the economy, influenced by a cooling labor market and high valuations in the technology sector [1] Federal Reserve Actions - The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point in December to support the job market and stimulate growth, with inflation trending near the 2% target [2] - The Fed has reduced borrowing costs three times this year, bringing the overnight borrowing rate to a range of 3.50-3.75% [2] Labor Market Conditions - The job market is showing signs of cooling, with softer hiring, rising unemployment at 4.6%, and a narrowing gap in job openings [3] - Nonfarm payrolls increased by 64,000 jobs in November after a decline of 105,000 jobs in October, the largest drop since December 2020 [3] Investment Opportunities - Investors looking to diversify can consider dividend-paying stocks, which indicate a healthy business model and tend to outperform non-dividend-paying stocks in volatile markets [4] - Notable dividend-paying companies include: - **Pentair (PNR)**: Declared a dividend of 27 cents per share with a yield of 1% and a payout ratio of 21% [5][6] - **nVent Electric (NVT)**: Declared a dividend of 21 cents per share with a yield of 0.8% and a payout ratio of 26% [7][8] - **CenterPoint Energy (CNP)**: Declared a dividend of 23 cents per share with a yield of 2.3% and a payout ratio of 51% [10][11][12] - **Marriott Vacations Worldwide (VAC)**: Declared a dividend of 80 cents per share with a yield of 5.5% and a payout ratio of 44% [10][13][14] - **PG&E (PCG)**: Declared a dividend of 5 cents per share with a yield of 0.7% and a payout ratio of 7% [15]

Core Insights - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. is a significant entity in the electric and natural gas delivery sector, serving approximately 7 million metered customers across multiple states, including Indiana, with a market capitalization of about $24.36 billion [1] Stock Performance - CNP's current stock price is $37.31, showing a slight decrease of 0.45% or $0.17, with fluctuations between a low of $37.22 and a high of $37.80 during the trading day [3] - Over the past year, the stock has experienced a high of $40.50 and a low of $30.59, indicating volatility in its price movements [3] Analyst Outlook - KeyBanc has set a price target of $41 for CNP, suggesting a potential price increase of approximately 9.89% from its current trading price [2][6] - The upgrade to Overweight from Sector Weight reflects a positive outlook for the stock [2] Dividend Announcement - CenterPoint Energy has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per share, to be paid on March 12, 2026, to shareholders recorded as of February 19, 2026, indicating the company's commitment to returning value to its shareholders [4][6] Trading Activity - Today's trading volume for CNP is 3,658,907 shares, indicating active investor interest [5] - The recent upgrade and dividend announcement may positively influence investor sentiment and stock performance [5][6]

Core Points - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.2300 per share on its common stock [1] - The dividend is payable on March 12, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 19, 2026 [1] - CenterPoint Energy serves approximately 7 million metered customers across multiple states, including Indiana [1]