Any thoughts on the company?


Red line 200 MA

24 Mar 2015 "Deutsche Bank cuts Centrica to 'sell' from 'hold', target cut from 280p to 225p"

UBS target out today is 550p. Final Divi is 9.14p (ex-divi 28th Apr '10).
Not a stock I have watched much, but added to my watch list now & maybe worth having for the divi.

Watch it fall after punters take their divi

Blue today. Ex-divi tomorrow, suspect red at the open.

Broker note from J P Morgan:
"We have updated our Centrica estimates to take account of: the recent rally in UK gas prices, the changes to corporation tax announced in tuesdays budget, and the 10th May Interim Management Statement (IMS).
Our revised EPS estimates are 5.1% ahead of Reuters consensus for 2010, 9.2% for 2011 and 12.2% for 2012. In our view, the market continues to underestimate the structural growth potential of Centricas downstream business and the reduced earnings volatility of the group due to its greater vertical integration we see the key risk facing Centrica as increased government interference in the sector. We believe that risk has reduced following Tuesdays emergency budget where the government stressed the requirement to attract private sector investment into energy infrastructure. We think the main government policy, the introduction of a minimum carbon price, will be positive for Centrica given its low CO2 intensity generation fleet.
We have added Centrica to the JPMC Analyst Focus List (AFL) and increased our December 2010 price target from 375p to 385p. Our updated price target implies 29% upside from the current share price.
Centrica is trading on a 2010E PER of 12.1x, EV/EBITDA of 6.0x and dividend yield of 4.6% and a 2011E PER of 10.5x, EV/EBITDA of 5.2x and dividend yield of 4.9%. In our view, this is inexpensive givenbCentrica's earnings growth, strong balance sheet and limited exposure to more onerous environmental legislation.
The next scheduled newsflow is the interim results announcement on 28th July. We expect the results to be strong due to the cold winter in the UK boosting residential gas demand at the same time as wholesale gas prices remained subdued."

Half Yearly Report.

Thanks for posting the report skinny. So little interest in CNA that I'd forgotten about the thread :-/
All as expected I guess and prospects for the full year look OK, barring any major upsets it's outcome being reliant on market forces etc.
I've been out of CNA some while until about 3 months ago then bought a few for the ISA.

Hi Opto - I've been out for a while - they are on my list @3 - currently yielding @4.5%

Next divi 28-Sept-11 / Paid 16-Nov-11 / Amount 4.29p

i own 8 houses have just decided to move from bg to eon all my homes have
homecare 400 e on is a better deal . so i have sold my holdings in cna

Centrica EXPANDS TEXAS RETAIL ENERGY BUSINESS


Centrica plc's North American subsidiary, Direct Energy, has agreed to acquire the Texas-based energy retailer First Choice Power for $270 million (GBP175 million) in cash, plus additional working capital.


First Choice Power has more than 220,000 residential and commercial electricity customer accounts in Texas. This acquisition supports Direct Energy's strategy to grow and extend its North American downstream retail business, and strengthens its position as the third largest energy retailer in Texas - taking its number of electricity customer accounts in the state to more than 830,000.


As one of the five legacy players in Texas, First Choice Power has a customer base with high brand loyalty. The combination of First Choice Power with Direct Energy's existing Texas operations will lead to significant synergies through integration of the businesses.


First Choice Power was also the first player to offer smart meter prepaid propositions in Texas and this acquisition will further enhance Direct Energy's position in this area, providing access to strategic prepaid partnerships that will help support future growth in this key segment of the market.


Direct Energy President and CEO Chris Weston said: "This acquisition is another important step towards growing scale and leadership in our North American business. First Choice Power is an established brand with a loyal customer base. Its addition to the Direct Energy family will significantly enlarge our business in one of the key US deregulated residential markets, providing a valuable platform for future growth."

Perhaps the RNS would have had a bigger impact on the sp had it contained some current trading figures of First Choice Power. On the face of it 175mill+ seems a lot for the quite small customer base. IMO

opto - I'm looking to buy @275ish ? Current yield 5%+ 12 month low 281.20. AND Tanker has sold - so they must be a screaming buy. :-)

Morning Skinny, 275 may not be the bottom, but it's another one of the major FTSE stocks that is almost certain (if there is such a word is the stock market) to make a good capital return...nice divi in the meantime.

Opto - most of my major FTSE holdings are in the red atm. But they are all (assuming they keep up the dividend) good yielders. The only blue majors are VOD and SSE. I wont list the reds!

do you no that if BRITISH GAS stopped employing expensive contractors because the management are LAZY they could almost double there profit the contract companys are taking most of the profit , down to lazy management .and yes i worked in the business and no the scams

do you no that if BRITISH GAS stopped employing expensive contractors because the management are LAZY they could almost double there profit the contract companys are taking most of the profit , down to lazy management .and yes i worked in the business and no the scams

do you no that if BRITISH GAS stopped employing expensive contractors because the management are LAZY they could almost double there profit the contract companys are taking most of the profit , down to lazy management .and yes i worked in the business and no the scams

Centrica ACQUIRES HOME SERVICES PROTECTION PLAN BUSINESS IN NORTH AMERICA


Centrica plc's North American subsidiary, Direct Energy, has acquired the Illinois-based home protection plan business Home Warranty of America (HWA) for $48 million (GBP30 million) in cash.


The acquisition of HWA provides Direct Energy with a national platform to build and grow an extensive protection plan business in the US, offering customers a range of products including heating, air-conditioning, plumbing and electrical cover.


HWA is one of the few providers with the necessary licenses to operate nationwide across the United States. It has over 70,000 customers with high value whole-home warranty plans, a national network of 4,000 contractors, an established national sales force, call centre and information systems, as well as industry-leading service delivery capability.


Last year Direct Energy acquired Clockwork Home Services, making it the leading energy services company in North America, with 3 million customers. The addition of HWA will complement Clockwork's current on-demand business, enhancing its ability to offer protection plan cover to this substantial customer base. It will make Direct Energy the first major provider in North America to offer the dual capability of home energy services and protection plan products, replicating the market-leading model developed by British Gas in the UK.


Chris Weston, President and CEO, Direct Energy, said: "The protection plan market in North America is relatively immature. The addition of HWA provides Direct Energy with the capability to be the first national home services player that can offer dependable, peace of mind home cover delivered 24 hours a day through our highly trained technicians. This will accelerate Direct Energy's access to the US market and its huge growth potential. HWA also offers a strong fit with our strategic priority of creating an integrated North American business."

Sounds a bit like Homeserve! ;o(

It seems the market likes the deal...and that is what matters.
Liked the look of it myself, not an enormous amount of cash for the expanded organisation.