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This is Why CenterPoint Energy (CNP) is a Great Dividend Stock

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All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.

CenterPoint Energy (CNP - Free Report) is headquartered in Houston, and is in the Utilities sector. The stock has seen a price change of 6.1% since the start of the year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.23 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.26%. In comparison, the Utility - Electric Power industry's yield is 3.11%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.31%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $0.92 is up 4.5% from last year. Over the last 5 years, CenterPoint Energy has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.33%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. CenterPoint's current payout ratio is 48%, meaning it paid out 48% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for CNP for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $1.91 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 8.52%.

Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.

For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that CNP is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

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