CenterPoint Energy Stock Is Believed To Be Modestly Overvalued
- By GF Value
The stock of CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP, 30-year Financials) appears to be modestly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $25.02 per share and the market cap of $14.5 billion, CenterPoint Energy stock appears to be modestly overvalued. GF Value for CenterPoint Energy is shown in the chart below.
Because CenterPoint Energy is relatively overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be lower than its business growth, which is estimated to grow 1.64% annually over the next three to five years.
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Companies with poor financial strength offer investors a high risk of permanent capital loss. To avoid permanent capital loss, an investor must do their research and review a company's financial strength before deciding to purchase shares. Both the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage of a company are a great way to to understand its financial strength. CenterPoint Energy has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.06, which which ranks worse than 79% of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated. The overall financial strength of CenterPoint Energy is 3 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of CenterPoint Energy is poor. This is the debt and cash of CenterPoint Energy over the past years:
It is less risky to invest in profitable companies, especially those with consistent profitability over long term. A company with high profit margins is usually a safer investment than those with low profit margins. CenterPoint Energy has been profitable 8 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $7.8 billion and earnings of $1.07 a share. Its operating margin is 16.35%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated. Overall, the profitability of CenterPoint Energy is ranked 5 out of 10, which indicates fair profitability. This is the revenue and net income of CenterPoint Energy over the past years:
Growth is probably one of the most important factors in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus' research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long-term performance of a company's stock. If a company's business is growing, the company usually creates value for its shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. Likewise, if a company's revenue and earnings are declining, the value of the company will decrease. CenterPoint Energy's 3-year average revenue growth rate is in the bottom 10% of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated. CenterPoint Energy's 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -34.5%, which ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated.
Another way to look at the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital and the weighted cost of capital. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. We want to have the return on invested capital higher than the weighted cost of capital. For the past 12 months, CenterPoint Energy's return on invested capital is 3.23, and its cost of capital is 5.38. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of CenterPoint Energy is shown below:
To conclude, The stock of CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being modestly overvalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in the industry of Utilities - Regulated. To learn more about CenterPoint Energy stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
