CenterPoint Energy Announces Outlook Revision To Stable by Moody’s

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP), recently announced that Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) changed the company’s rating outlook from Negative to Stable and affirmed the company’s Baa2 senior unsecured rating and Prime–2 short–term rating for commercial paper.

“Moody’s revision is an important vote of confidence in the credit-supportive actions we have taken as a company this year to improve our financial stability and strengthen our balance sheet,” said Jason Wells, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of CenterPoint Energy.  

Moody’s attributed the change to corporate actions which stabilized credit metrics, improved liquidity, strengthened the balance sheet and lowered the company’s business risk profile.

As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. As of September 30, 2020, the company owned approximately $33 billion in assets and also owned 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 9,600 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy Declares Regular Common Stock Dividend of $0.1600, Series A Preferred Stock Dividend of $30.6250 and Series B Preferred Stock Dividend of $17.5000

CenterPoint Energy, Inc.’s (NYSE: CNP) board of directors recently declared dividends on shares of its common stock, Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock and Series B Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock.

Common Stock Dividend

The company’s board of directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.1600 per share on the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock. The dividend will also be payable to holders of shares of Series C Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock which participate with the Common Stock on an as-converted basis. The dividend will be payable March 11, 2021 to holders of Common Stock and Series C Preferred Stock of record at the close of business on February 18, 2021.  This quarterly dividend represents a 6.7 percent increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.1500 and, if annualized, would equate to $0.64 per share.

Series A Preferred Stock Dividend

The company’s board of directors declared a regular semiannual cash dividend of $30.6250 per share on the issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock payable March 1, 2021 to holders of Series A Preferred Stock of record at the close of business on February 15, 2021.

Series B Preferred Stock Dividend

The company’s board of directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $17.5000 per share on the issued and outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock payable March 1, 2021 to holders of Series B Preferred Stock of record at the close of business on February 15, 2021. This equates to $0.8750 per depositary share (NYSE: CNPPRB), each of which represents a 1/20^th interest in a share of the Series B Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock.

As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. As of September 30, 2020, the company owned approximately $33 billion in assets and also owned 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 9,600 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Any statements in this news release regarding future events, such as annualized dividends per share, and any other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release speaks only as of the date of this release.

Source: CenterPoint Energy, Inc.