Financial Performance - Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $297 million, a decrease of $53 million compared to $350 million in the same period of 2024[202]. - Total utility operations net income decreased by $68 million, from $404 million in Q1 2024 to $336 million in Q1 2025[202]. - Electric segment revenues increased to $1,066 million in Q1 2025 from $1,049 million in Q1 2024, while net income decreased by $13 million to $108 million[207]. - Natural Gas segment revenues rose significantly to $1,853 million in Q1 2025, up $283 million from $1,570 million in Q1 2024, but net income decreased by $55 million to $228 million[210]. - Houston Electric's total revenues decreased by $17 million to $884 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, with a notable increase in residential throughput by 12%[215]. - CERC's revenues increased by $276 million to $1.788 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2025, driven by customer growth and weather impacts[219]. - Houston Electric's net income decreased by $15 million to $84 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, impacted by higher interest expenses[215]. - CERC's operating income improved by $37 million to $407 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, despite increased utility natural gas costs[219]. - CERC reported a gain on sale of $52 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, contributing positively to net income[219]. Customer Metrics - The total number of metered residential customers increased by 2% to 2,651,381 as of March 31, 2025, compared to 2,604,026 in the previous year[207]. - Houston Electric's number of metered customers increased by 2% to 2,830,184 at the end of the period[215]. Capital Expenditures and Investments - Estimated capital expenditures for 2025 are projected at $3,764 million, with $2,139 million allocated for Houston Electric and $1,080 million for CERC[226]. - CenterPoint Energy anticipates spending over $3 billion in energy investments to support renewable energy generation and reduce GHG emissions, aligning with its net zero emissions goals[260]. - Indiana Electric's 2019/2020 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) includes retiring 730 MW of coal-fired generation and replacing it with 626 MW of solar and 200 MW of wind generation, with further approvals pending[260]. - The proposed Transmission and Distribution System Resiliency Plan involves an investment of approximately $5.75 billion over three years, with $5.54 billion in capital costs and $211 million in operations and maintenance expenses[245]. Financing Activities - Financing activities provided $1,053 million in Q1 2025, compared to $376 million in Q1 2024, indicating a significant increase in financing cash flow[225]. - Net changes in commercial paper outstanding increased by $412 million in Q1 2025, reflecting a strategic shift in financing[225]. - CenterPoint Energy expects to meet its cash needs for the remainder of 2025 through operational cash flow and financing activities, including potential bond issuances[228]. Regulatory and Legislative Matters - CenterPoint Energy plans to monitor the 89th Texas Legislature for any legislation that may impact its business operations[242]. - The Minnesota Gas Rate Case requests a delivery charge adjustment of approximately 6.5% or $85 million for 2024 and an additional 3.7% or $52 million for 2025, driven by safety and reliability investments[247]. - Houston Electric's rate case seeks an increase of approximately $17 million (1%) for retail customers and $43 million (6.6%) for wholesale transmission service, reflecting ongoing investments in system reliability[248]. - The Ohio Gas Rate Case seeks a revenue requirement increase of approximately $100 million based on a requested return on equity of 10.4%[249]. - The anticipated decision date for the Minnesota Gas Rate Case is July 1, 2025, following a unanimous settlement agreement filed on November 25, 2024[247]. Operational Challenges - CenterPoint Energy's solar projects face delays and increased costs due to unavailability of solar panels and supply chain issues, with potential impacts on project viability[243]. - The company anticipates restoration costs associated with the May 2024 Storm Events to be approximately $32 million for the remainder of 2025[226]. Credit and Debt Management - As of April 21, 2025, the Registrants had approximately $4.0 billion in revolving credit facilities, with a utilization of $395 million[264]. - The weighted average interest rate for borrowings in the CenterPoint Energy money pool was 4.62%, with Houston Electric borrowing $94 million and CERC borrowing $920 million[271]. - CenterPoint Energy's credit ratings as of April 21, 2025, included Baa2 (Moody's), BBB (S&P), and BBB (Fitch) with a negative outlook from all three agencies[272]. - A downgrade in credit ratings could increase borrowing costs under revolving credit facilities, but the impact would have been insignificant if downgraded one notch as of March 31, 2025[275]. Economic and Market Conditions - In 2025, the U.S. government imposed a 25% tariff on steel imports and a baseline tariff of 10% on products from all countries, leading to increased uncertainty in economic conditions and potential impacts on capital market access and commodity costs[252]. - The shift in U.S. energy policy under the current administration has created uncertainty regarding the future of renewable generation infrastructure development[258]. - The impact of climate-related regulations on compliance costs remains uncertain, with expectations of increased costs due to new regulations[257].

The market expects CenterPoint Energy (CNP) to deliver flat earnings compared to the year-ago quarter on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2025. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected ...

Core Viewpoint - CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP) presents a strong investment opportunity in the Zacks Utility Electric Power industry due to rising earnings estimates, strategic investments, robust return on equity (ROE), improved solvency, and a solid dividend history [1] Growth Projections & Surprise History - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CNP's earnings per share (EPS) for 2025 and 2026 has increased by 0.6% and 0.5%, respectively, over the past 90 days [2] - The estimated revenue for CNP in 2025 is $8.94 billion, reflecting a growth of 3.4% from the 2024 reported figure, while the 2026 revenue estimate is $9.36 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 4.7% [2] Earnings Growth Rate - CNP's long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 7.5%, and the company has consistently surpassed expectations in the last four reported quarters, achieving an average earnings surprise of 0.76% [3] Return on Equity - CNP's return on equity (ROE) stands at 10.02%, outperforming the industry average of 9.77%, indicating more effective utilization of funds compared to peers [4] Solvency & Liquidity - The times interest earned (TIE) ratio for CNP at the end of Q4 2024 was 2.4, suggesting the company can comfortably meet its interest payment obligations [5] - CNP's current ratio at the end of Q4 2024 was 1.08, exceeding the industry average of 0.79, indicating a strong ability to meet short-term liabilities [6] Dividend History - CNP has a consistent dividend payment history, currently offering a quarterly dividend of 22 cents per share, leading to an annualized dividend of 88 cents and a dividend yield of 2.39%, which is higher than the S&P 500 Composite average of 1.37% [7] Systematic Investments - The company plans to invest $47 billion to $47.5 billion in capital expenditures over the next 10 years, with $4.8 billion earmarked for 2025, aimed at enhancing customer reliability and providing safe, resilient energy [8] Stock Price Performance - Over the past three months, CNP shares have increased by 13%, significantly outperforming the industry's growth of 2.8% [9]

Group 1 - CenterPoint Energy has elected two new members to its Board of Directors, Manuel Miranda and Laurie Fitch, effective April 16, 2025 [1][2][3] - The company is focused on divesting non-regulated and non-core businesses to enhance the resilience, reliability, and safety of its systems, aiming to build the most resilient coastal grid in the country [2][3][7] - The new board members bring extensive experience in the utility and infrastructure sectors, particularly in system reliability, infrastructure growth, and climate resilience [3][7] Group 2 - Manuel Miranda has 40 years of experience in the utility industry, notably improving hurricane resiliency at Florida Power & Light, and has led efforts for 47 tropical storms and hurricanes [4][5] - Laurie Fitch has a strong background in investment and advisory roles within the global power sector, having worked at PJT Partners and Morgan Stanley, and has significant experience in the utility and infrastructure sectors [6][8] - CenterPoint Energy serves approximately 7 million metered customers across multiple states and has approximately $44 billion in assets as of December 31, 2024 [9]

Core Viewpoint - The U.S. stock markets are experiencing extreme volatility due to the imposition of new tariffs by the Trump administration, which has raised concerns about a potential global trade war and its impact on the U.S. economy [2][4]. Group 1: Market Overview - The baseline tariff of 10% was imposed on all imports starting April 5, 2025, with rates reaching as high as 145% for certain countries like China [2][3]. - The S&P 500 index is currently in correction territory, having declined by 8.6% year to date, and was trading close to bear market levels last week [5]. Group 2: Featured Stocks - A selection of stocks that have provided double-digit returns year to date includes American Water Works Co. Inc. (AWK), Exelon Corp. (EXC), CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP), The Progressive Corp. (PGR), and Brown & Brown Inc. (BRO), all carrying a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [6]. Group 3: American Water Works Co. Inc. (AWK) - AWK is benefiting from contributions from acquired assets and military contracts, with new water and wastewater rates enhancing performance [7]. - The company is expanding its operations through both organic and inorganic initiatives, with 17 pending acquisitions expected to add 24,200 customers [9]. - AWK has projected revenue and earnings growth rates of 1.6% and 6.1%, respectively, for the current year, with a recent 0.2% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate [10]. Group 4: Exelon Corp. (EXC) - Exelon's investments are aimed at strengthening its transmission and distribution infrastructure, with initiatives in grid modernization expected to enhance service reliability [11]. - The company anticipates revenue and earnings growth rates of 4.2% and 6.4%, respectively, for the current year, with a 0.8% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last 30 days [12]. Group 5: CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP) - CNP is positioned to benefit from increasing electricity demand driven by the electrification of transportation and investments in renewable energy [13]. - The company has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 3.2% and 8%, respectively, for the current year, with a 0.6% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last 60 days [16]. Group 6: The Progressive Corp. (PGR) - PGR is experiencing growth due to higher premiums and a strong product portfolio, focusing on becoming a one-stop insurance destination [17]. - The expected revenue and earnings growth rates for PGR are 16.1% and 10.9%, respectively, with a 1% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last seven days [18]. Group 7: Brown & Brown Inc. (BRO) - BRO's growth trajectory is supported by a compelling portfolio and strategic initiatives that enhance its capabilities and geographic reach [19]. - The company has projected revenue and earnings growth rates of 8.4% and 9.1%, respectively, for the current year, with a 0.2% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last 30 days [20].

Market Overview - U.S. stock markets are experiencing extreme volatility in April due to the "Liberation Day" tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, with a baseline tariff of 10% on all imports and rates as high as 145% for certain countries like China [1][2] - The S&P 500 index is currently in correction territory, trading almost in bear market zone, with a year-to-date decline of 8.6% [3] Investment Opportunities - Despite the overall market downturn, a handful of S&P 500 stocks have provided double-digit returns year to date, with five recommended stocks carrying a favorable Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy): American Water Works Co. Inc. (AWK), Exelon Corp. (EXC), CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP), The Progressive Corp. (PGR), and Brown & Brown Inc. (BRO) [4] American Water Works Co. Inc. (AWK) - AWK is benefiting from contributions from acquired assets and military contracts, with new water and wastewater rates boosting performance [8] - The company is expanding operations through organic and inorganic initiatives, with 17 pending acquisitions expected to add 24,200 customers [10] - AWK has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 1.6% and 6.1%, respectively, for the current year, with a 0.2% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last seven days [11] Exelon Corp. (EXC) - Exelon's investments are aimed at strengthening its transmission and distribution infrastructure, with initiatives in grid modernization improving operational resilience [12] - The company has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 4.2% and 6.4%, respectively, for the current year, with a 0.8% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 30 days [13] CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP) - CNP is positioned to benefit from increasing electricity demand due to the electrification of transportation and investments in renewable energy [14] - The company has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 3.2% and 8%, respectively, for the current year, with a 0.6% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 60 days [17] The Progressive Corp. (PGR) - PGR is gaining from higher premiums and a strong product portfolio, focusing on becoming a one-stop insurance destination [18] - The company has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 16.1% and 10.9%, respectively, for the current year, with a 1% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last seven days [19] Brown & Brown Inc. (BRO) - BRO's growth trajectory is driven by organic and inorganic initiatives, enhancing its capabilities and geographic reach [20] - The company has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 8.4% and 9.1%, respectively, for the current year, with a 0.2% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 30 days [22]

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a met ...

Core Insights - CenterPoint Energy has made significant progress in the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), with approximately 70% of the second phase now complete, aiming to enhance grid resiliency before the 2025 hurricane season [1][4][5] Group 1: GHRI Progress - The company has completed 350 miles of undergrounding, installed over 17,500 stronger poles, cleared over 2,900 miles of high-risk vegetation, and placed over 3,380 automated reliability devices [1][2][5] - GHRI efforts are expected to reduce outages for customers by more than 125 million minutes annually [1][2][5] Group 2: Upcoming Initiatives - CenterPoint plans to install 100 new local weather monitoring stations by June 1 to enhance storm preparation and situational awareness [3][5] - The company continues to improve communication and preparedness through a year-round safety campaign and engagement with local officials [6][7] Group 3: Company Overview - CenterPoint Energy is the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, serving approximately 7 million metered customers across multiple states [8]

Market Overview - Wall Street experienced significant losses, with the Dow recording back-to-back losses exceeding 1,500 points on April 3 and 4, including a drop of 2,231 points on April 4, marking one of the highest single-day declines in history [4] - The S&P 500 index fell more than 10% over the last two trading days of the previous week, with a 6% drop on April 6, its worst day since March 2020, currently in correction territory with a 17% decline from its February peak [5] - The Nasdaq Composite also plummeted 6% on each of the last two trading days, now in bear territory with a 22% drop from its recent high, while the CBOE VIX reached 45 on April 4, indicating extreme market fear [6] Defensive Stocks Recommendations - Investing in defensive sectors such as consumer staples, utilities, and healthcare is recommended, with five stocks identified: Molson Coors Beverage Co. (TAP), CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP), WEC Energy Group Inc. (WEC), Abbott Laboratories (ABT), and HCA Healthcare Inc. (HCA) [3][7] Company Insights Molson Coors Beverage Co. (TAP) - TAP has shown strong performance in Canada and EMEA&APAC, with Q4 2024 results surpassing estimates and year-over-year earnings growth [11] - Projected sales growth for 2025 is in low-single digits, with underlying EPS expected to grow in high-single digits [12] - Current revenue and earnings growth rates are 0.1% and 6.9%, respectively, with a dividend yield of 3.07% [13] CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP) - CNP is positioned to benefit from rising electricity demand due to the electrification of transportation and investments in renewable energy [14] - The company is investing in infrastructure to support electric vehicle (EV) growth, including off-road electrification initiatives [16] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 3.2% and 8%, respectively, with a dividend yield of 2.44% [17] WEC Energy Group Inc. (WEC) - WEC is benefiting from both organic and inorganic growth, with strategic investments aimed at enhancing infrastructure and achieving net carbon neutrality by 2050 [18] - Demand from commercial and residential customers is improving, with expected revenue growth in the 2025-2027 period [19] - Current revenue and earnings growth rates are 9.2% and 8.5%, respectively, with a dividend yield of 3.42% [20] Abbott Laboratories (ABT) - ABT utilizes AI for healthcare solutions, including advanced medical imaging and predictive algorithms for heart attack prevention [21] - The company holds a strong position in point-of-care testing across various health areas [22] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 5.9% and 10.3%, respectively, with a dividend yield of 1.90% [23] HCA Healthcare Inc. (HCA) - HCA's revenues are increasing due to growth in admissions and surgeries, with projected revenues for 2025 between $72.8 billion and $75.8 billion, indicating a 5.2% rise from 2024 [24] - The company has benefited from acquisitions and its telemedicine business, with operating cash flows rising 11.5% year over year in 2024 [25] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 5.8% and 13.8%, respectively, with a dividend yield of 0.87% [25]

CenterPoint proposal to remove emergency temporary generation costs would lower monthly bills immediately and by as much as $2 per month by 2027 15 generation units would be sent to San Antonio area by Summer 2025 to help meet Texas' current and future energy needsHOUSTON, April 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, as part of its continuing commitment to better serve customers across the Greater Houston area, CenterPoint testified before the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce on its proposal to remov ...