Advertisement
UK markets closed
  • FTSE 100

    8,266.84
    -8.54 (-0.10%)
     
  • FTSE 250

    20,900.49
    +170.37 (+0.82%)
     
  • AIM

    805.75
    -0.04 (-0.00%)
     
  • GBP/EUR

    1.1747
    +0.0005 (+0.04%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2793
    +0.0055 (+0.43%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    54,385.66
    +1,159.74 (+2.18%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,488.48
    +20.55 (+1.40%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,267.04
    -10.47 (-0.20%)
     
  • DOW

    38,449.88
    -236.44 (-0.61%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    74.10
    -2.89 (-3.75%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,362.70
    +16.90 (+0.72%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    38,923.03
    +435.13 (+1.13%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    18,403.04
    +323.43 (+1.79%)
     
  • DAX

    18,608.16
    +110.22 (+0.60%)
     
  • CAC 40

    7,998.02
    +5.15 (+0.06%)
     

Is Now The Time To Look At Buying CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP)?

Today we're going to take a look at the well-established CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP). The company's stock saw a decent share price growth of 10% on the NYSE over the last few months. The company is now trading at yearly-high levels following the recent surge in its share price. With many analysts covering the large-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Let’s examine CenterPoint Energy’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for CenterPoint Energy

What Is CenterPoint Energy Worth?

CenterPoint Energy appears to be overvalued by 23% at the moment, based on our discounted cash flow valuation. The stock is currently priced at US$29.99 on the market compared to our intrinsic value of $24.38. This means that the buying opportunity has probably disappeared for now. Furthermore, CenterPoint Energy’s share price also seems relatively stable compared to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. If you believe the share price should eventually reach its true value, a low beta could suggest it is unlikely to rapidly do so anytime soon, and once it’s there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range.

What does the future of CenterPoint Energy look like?

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that it’s the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. CenterPoint Energy's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 40%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? CNP’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above its fair value. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe CNP should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

ADVERTISEMENT

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on CNP for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its true value, which means there’s no upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for CNP, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in CenterPoint Energy.

If you are no longer interested in CenterPoint Energy, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.