10-QPeriod: Q3 FY2023

CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC Quarterly Report for Q3 Ended Sep 30, 2023

Filed October 26, 2023For Securities:CNP

Summary

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) reported its financial results for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The company demonstrated resilience with an increase in income available to common shareholders for the three months ended September 30, 2023, primarily driven by improved performance in its Electric segment. However, for the nine-month period, income available to common shareholders decreased year-over-year, largely impacted by a decline in the Natural Gas segment and higher corporate expenses, including costs associated with the redemption of preferred stock and increased borrowing costs. Capital expenditures remain a focus, with significant investments in infrastructure across its Electric and Natural Gas businesses. The company successfully managed its liquidity, utilizing its credit facilities and issuing new debt to fund operations and capital investments. Strategic divestitures, such as the sale of Energy Systems Group, continue to shape the company's portfolio, focusing on core utility operations. While regulatory proceedings and environmental matters present ongoing considerations, the company appears to be navigating these challenges. Investors should monitor upcoming rate decisions and the ongoing impact of energy transition initiatives on future earnings.

Financial Statements
Beta
Revenue$1.86B
Cost of Revenue$1.00M
Gross Profit$1.86B
Operating Expenses$1.34B
Operating Income$518.00M
Net Income$282.00M
EPS (Basic)$0.41
EPS (Diluted)$0.40
Shares Outstanding (Basic)631.18M
Shares Outstanding (Diluted)633.04M

Key Highlights

  • 1Income available to common shareholders increased by $67 million to $256 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, driven by a $56 million increase in the Electric segment and a $37 million increase in the Natural Gas segment.
  • 2For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, income available to common shareholders decreased by $211 million to $675 million compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $120 million decrease in the Natural Gas segment and higher Corporate & Other expenses.
  • 3Capital expenditures for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, totaled $3.323 billion for CenterPoint Energy, Inc. and its subsidiaries, with a significant portion allocated to infrastructure improvements.
  • 4CenterPoint Energy, Inc. redeemed all 800,000 shares of its Series A Preferred Stock on September 1, 2023, for $800 million, which will reduce future preferred dividend payments.
  • 5The company completed the sale of its Energy Systems Group subsidiary on June 30, 2023, for $154 million, as part of its strategy to focus on core utility businesses.
  • 6CenterPoint Energy and CERC received approximately $1.1 billion in proceeds from Texas customer rate relief bonds related to the February 2021 Winter Storm Event.
  • 7The company's total debt increased to $16.838 billion as of September 30, 2023, from $14.836 billion as of December 31, 2022, primarily due to new debt issuances to fund capital expenditures and other corporate purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

For the three months ended September 30, 2023, CenterPoint Energy reported an increase in income available to common shareholders of $67 million to $256 million, compared to $189 million in the same period of 2022. This improvement was primarily driven by stronger performance in the Electric segment ($56 million increase) and the Natural Gas segment ($37 million increase).

For the first nine months of 2023, income available to common shareholders decreased by $211 million to $675 million, compared to $886 million for the same period in 2022. This decline was mainly due to a $120 million decrease in the Natural Gas segment and higher Corporate & Other expenses, which included a $211 million decrease related to the sale of Energy Transfer equity securities in 2022 and costs associated with preferred stock redemption and increased borrowing costs in 2023.

During the first nine months of 2023, CenterPoint Energy and its subsidiaries issued approximately $5.6 billion in new debt. This included $1.4 billion in general mortgage bonds by Houston Electric, $2.0 billion in senior notes and a term loan by CERC, $341 million in securitization bonds by SIGECO Securitization Subsidiary, $180 million in first mortgage bonds by SIGECO, and $1.0 billion in convertible notes and $400 million in senior notes by CenterPoint Energy. The company also repaid or redeemed approximately $2.5 billion of debt during this period.

CenterPoint Energy completed the sale of its Energy Systems Group subsidiary on June 30, 2023, for $154 million. This strategic divestiture aligns with the company's focus on core utility operations. The sale resulted in a pre-tax loss of $12 million and a current tax expense of $33 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, impacting the Corporate & Other segment results.