CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP) Announces Dividend Increase – $0.23 Per Share

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a dividend of 0.23 per share by the utilities provider on Thursday, March 12th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This is a 4.5% increase from CenterPoint Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22.

CenterPoint Energy has decreased its dividend by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 5 consecutive years. CenterPoint Energy has a payout ratio of 48.9% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect CenterPoint Energy to earn $1.87 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.92 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 49.2%.

CenterPoint Energy Price Performance

NYSE:CNP opened at $42.48 on Tuesday. CenterPoint Energy has a 52-week low of $33.24 and a 52-week high of $42.57. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $39.04 and a 200 day moving average of $38.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.59.

CenterPoint Energy Company 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.