Core Insights - CenterPoint Energy has completed all key actions of the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) Phase Two ahead of the 2025 hurricane season, demonstrating a commitment to enhancing energy infrastructure reliability [1][2][3] Group 1: GHRI Phase Two Achievements - Over the last 10 months, the company installed more than 26,000 stronger, storm-resilient poles and undergrounded over 400 miles of power lines [1][6] - The addition of 5,150 automation devices and the clearing of more than 6,000 miles of higher-risk vegetation are significant steps taken to improve grid resiliency [1][6] - The installation of 100 weather monitoring stations enhances situational awareness and storm preparation in the Greater Houston area [1][6] Group 2: Impact on Reliability - These resiliency actions are expected to reduce outages for customers by more than 125 million minutes annually [1][2] - The proactive measures taken by the company strengthen its ability to deliver reliable service to the Houston and Gulf Coast regions [4] Group 3: Future Plans - CenterPoint Energy plans to announce an updated approach for GHRI for the remainder of 2025 and beyond in early June [4][5] - The company emphasizes that it will continue to work on further improvements throughout the summer and the rest of the year [4]

Core Viewpoint - CenterPoint Energy is actively preparing for the 2025 hurricane season through a comprehensive emergency response exercise aimed at enhancing local cooperation and improving emergency preparedness and response plans [1][2][3]. Group 1: Emergency Preparedness Activities - The emergency simulation involves state and local officials, emergency management offices, and third-party evaluators to assess CenterPoint's response to major hurricanes [1][3]. - More than 200 CenterPoint employees and response partners are participating in the all-day exercise at the Emergency Operations Center [3]. - The exercise is part of a series of trainings and system-wide improvements under the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) launched last year [3][4]. Group 2: Resiliency Improvements - Over the past 10 months, CenterPoint has implemented various resiliency actions to strengthen the energy system and mitigate the impact of outages during the hurricane season [4]. - The company is collaborating with industry-leading technology providers to leverage AI and emerging technologies for better weather impact predictions [7]. - CenterPoint is also donating and installing emergency generators at critical facilities and community centers to ensure essential services during emergencies [7]. Group 3: Company Overview - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. serves approximately 7 million metered customers across multiple states, with total assets of approximately $44 billion as of March 31, 2025 [5]. - The company has a workforce of around 8,300 employees and has been in operation for over 150 years [5].

Core Viewpoint - CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP) is positioned as a strong investment option in the Zacks Utility Electric Power industry due to its consistent infrastructure investments and expanding operations [1] Growth Forecast - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CNP's 2025 earnings per share (EPS) is $1.75, reflecting an 8% year-over-year growth [2] - For 2026, the EPS estimate is $1.88, indicating a year-over-year growth of 7.2% [2] - CNP's revenue for 2025 is estimated at $8.99 billion, representing a 4.1% increase from 2024 [3] - The 2026 revenue estimate is $9.36 billion, suggesting a 4% year-over-year increase [3] - The company's long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 7.8% over the next three to five years [3] Solvency - CenterPoint Energy's times interest earned (TIE) ratio was 2.3 at the end of Q1 2025, indicating the company can comfortably meet its interest payment obligations [4] Return to Shareholders - CNP has consistently increased shareholder value through dividends, currently paying a quarterly dividend of 22 cents per share, equating to an annualized dividend of 88 cents [5] - The current dividend yield stands at 2.35%, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 Composite average of 1.24% [5] - In Q1 2025, the company paid $143 million in dividends, up from $126 million in the previous year [5] Structured Investment Approach - CenterPoint Energy plans to invest $48.5 billion over the next 10 years, with $4.8 billion allocated for 2025 to enhance customer reliability and energy safety [6] - The company intends to invest over $3 billion in renewable energy generation and electric vehicle (EV) expansion as part of its 10-year capital expenditure strategy [7] - By 2026, CNP anticipates generating approximately 1,000 megawatts of power from wind and solar sources [7] Initiatives for the EV Market - CNP is making significant investments to create a smarter and cleaner ecosystem for EV drivers and fleet operators, focusing on off-road electrification [8] - The corporate fleet aims to electrify all cars and SUVs by 2030 as part of its net-zero emission plan, strengthening its position in the EV market [9] Stock Performance - Over the past three months, CNP shares have increased by 11.2%, outperforming the industry's growth of 4.8% [11]

The price trend for CenterPoint Energy (CNP) has been bearish lately and the stock has lost 6.4% over the past week. However, the formation of a hammer chart pattern in its last trading session indicates that the stock could witness a trend reversal soon, as bulls might have gained significant control over the price to help it find support.The formation of a hammer pattern is considered a technical indication of nearing a bottom with likely subsiding of selling pressure. But this is not the only factor that ...

Industry Overview - The Zacks Utility – Electric Power industry focuses on generating and supplying electricity, with a shift towards clean fuel sources and carbon emission reduction supported by government initiatives [1] - Utilities are investing in grid strengthening and infrastructure to enhance resilience against annual hurricane challenges, minimizing outages and enabling faster power restoration [1] Industry Trends - Interest rates have declined, with the Federal Reserve cutting the benchmark rate by 100 basis points to a range of 4.25-4.50%, easing financial pressure on capital-intensive utilities [4] - The electric power sector is projected to generate 2% more electricity in 2025 compared to 2024, with an increase of approximately 100 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) [5] - The share of U.S. electricity generation from renewable sources is expected to rise from 23% in 2024 to 25% in 2025 and 27% in 2026, driven by solar and wind capacity additions [6] Company Highlights - Consolidated Edison Inc. plans to invest $38 billion from 2025-2029 and $68 billion over the next decade in energy infrastructure projects [16] - DTE Energy aims to spend $24 billion during the 2025-2029 period to strengthen its electric and natural gas operations [22] - CenterPoint Energy plans to invest $48.5 billion over the next 10 years to expand its operations [25] - Evergy targets nearly $17.5 billion in expected base capital investments through 2029, focusing on renewable generation [29] Financial Performance - The Utility Electric Power industry has gained 8.8% over the past 12 months, outperforming its sector's 6.3% rally [10] - The industry is currently trading at an EV/EBITDA of 14.64X, compared to the S&P 500's 16.56X and the Utility sector's 15.45X [13]

Core Insights - Ascendis Pharma announced new data from the ApproaCH Trial showing improvements in growth and bone morphometry in children with achondroplasia, highlighting the efficacy of TransCon CNP (navepegritide) [1][3][4] Group 1: Trial Details - The ApproaCH Trial was a double-blind placebo-controlled study involving 84 children aged 2-11 years, randomized in a 2:1 ratio for 52 weeks, followed by an open-label extension period [3] - At Week 52, TransCon CNP demonstrated superiority over placebo in annualized growth velocity (AGV) with a safety profile comparable to placebo, including low rates of injection site reactions and no serious adverse events [3] Group 2: Bone Morphometry Improvements - TransCon CNP showed significant improvements in bone morphometry at Week 52, including better lower limb alignment, proportional growth, and increased spinal canal dimensions compared to placebo [4] Group 3: Company Vision and Future Goals - The company aims to deliver benefits beyond linear growth for children with achondroplasia and is committed to understanding how altering the trajectory of skeletal dysplasia could reduce future complications associated with the condition [5] - Ascendis Pharma focuses on applying its innovative TransCon technology platform to develop new therapies that address unmet medical needs, with a commitment to patient care and scientific advancement [7]

Core Insights - Irby Construction Company, SMT Energy, and CenterPoint Energy have initiated the SMT Houston IV project, a 160 megawatt / 320 megawatt-hour Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the Houston Zone of the ERCOT market [1][2][3] Project Overview - SMT Houston IV aims to enhance grid reliability and resiliency in Texas by providing fast-response power during peak demand periods, supporting grid stability and renewable integration [2][7] - The project is expected to be completed by early July 2025, with construction commencing this month [4] Company Roles - Irby Construction serves as the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor, leveraging its expertise in electrical infrastructure [3] - SMT Energy is the project owner and developer, while CenterPoint Energy acts as the interconnecting utility, integrating the BESS into the broader electrical network of Houston [3] Collaboration and Planning - The project reflects years of planning and collaboration among the involved parties, focusing on safety, quality, and schedule during the construction phase [6] - CenterPoint Energy has recently completed nearly 90% of its overall grid resiliency improvements, further contributing to a more reliable grid [6] Industry Impact - SMT Houston IV will significantly contribute to ERCOT's ancillary services markets, providing high-speed grid balancing and mitigating load volatility and renewable intermittency [7] - Irby Construction has a strong track record in BESS projects, having built over 30 sites since 2019, including the world's largest BESS project at the time [8]

Core Insights - CenterPoint Energy has made significant progress in its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), completing nearly 90% of planned grid resiliency improvements ahead of the hurricane season [1][3][4] - The company has achieved its strategic undergrounding goal by installing 400 miles of underground power lines ahead of schedule, which is expected to reduce outages by more than 125 million minutes annually [2][3] - Key actions include the installation of stronger, storm-resilient poles, automation devices, and advanced weather monitoring stations, all aimed at enhancing grid reliability and resilience [1][4] Summary by Categories Resiliency Improvements - CenterPoint has installed 21,975 stronger poles, undergrounded 401 miles of power lines, added 4,472 automation devices, and cleared 3,741 miles of high-risk vegetation [1] - The company is on track to complete the installation of 25,000 stronger poles and 4,850 automated devices by June 1 [1][3] Goals and Achievements - The strategic undergrounding goal has been completed 100% ahead of schedule [1] - The overall resiliency actions are projected to reduce outages for customers by over 125 million minutes annually [2][3] Future Plans - CenterPoint will continue to provide updates on its progress toward completing its resiliency actions and other GHRI commitments [4]

Underground power lines installed ahead of schedule, with all Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) Phase Two resiliency actions on track to be completed by June 1 Historic suite of GHRI actions will improve system resiliency and reliability, resulting in the reduction of more than 125 million outage minutes annuallyHOUSTON, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to build the most resilient coastal grid in the country, CenterPoint Energy announced that it has installed 400 miles of und ...

Historic series of grid improvements and generator donations continue across the Greater Houston area to strengthen resiliency and reduce risk of outages during stormsJoint emergency response exercise and community safety and preparedness events being held with emergency officials and local partnersCenterPoint conducting outreach efforts across Greater Houston service area to help customers prepare for upcoming storm seasonHOUSTON, May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the official launch of National Hurri ...