Fact based stock research
Centrica (LSE:CNA)
GB00B033F229
How to read the free ranks
For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
Centrica stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 61 (better than 61% compared with investment alternatives), Centrica (Multi-Utilities, United Kingdom) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Centrica are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 61 (better than 61% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 87, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 17). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 61, is a buy recommendation based on Centrica's financial characteristics. As the company Centrica's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 61) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 17) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 87), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 61% of comparable companies, may also indicate that the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
Latest Obermatt Ranks
Log in or sign up to see the new 360° View and Sentiment ranks.
360° Viewnew| Country | United Kingdom |
| Industry | Multi-Utilities |
| Index | FTSE All Shares, FTSE 250, FTSE 350, Diversity Europe, Nuclear, Sound Pay Europe |
| Size class | X-Large |
This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.
31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.
Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.
It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.
Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.
Research History: Centrica
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 79 |
|
58 |
|
63 |
|
61 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 35 |
|
45 |
|
7 |
|
17 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 29 |
|
79 |
|
94 |
|
87 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 67 |
|
86 |
|
95 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 55 |
|
80 |
|
75 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 61 (better than 61% compared with investment alternatives), Centrica (Multi-Utilities, United Kingdom) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Centrica are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 61 (better than 61% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 87, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 17). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 61, is a buy recommendation based on Centrica's financial characteristics. As the company Centrica's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 61) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 17) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 87), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 61% of comparable companies, may also indicate that the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 79 |
|
58 |
|
63 |
|
61 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 35 |
|
45 |
|
7 |
|
17 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 29 |
|
79 |
|
94 |
|
87 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 43 |
|
74 |
|
56 |
|
61 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 61 (better than 61% compared with alternatives), Centrica shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, where half the indicators are below and half are above average for Centrica. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 93, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 93% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Centrica's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 61% of alternatives. It is also positive for expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 36 (dividends are expected to be higher than for 36% of other stocks). But, compared with other companies in the same industry, the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) is higher than average, making the stock more expensive. Only 76% of all competitors have an even higher price compared with book capital which puts the Price-to-Capital Rank for Centrica to 24. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 61, is a buy recommendation based on Centrica's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. A low level of book capital means that the company has a business that is leaner on assets than its competitors. For instance, the company could be leasing its production facilities, or be more focussed on intellectual property, such as its brand and software, which is less visible in its book capital. If that is the case, the low Dividend Yield is also explained as such companies tend to invest their income into market development. The other good value ranks for Sales and Profits are encouraging indicators for the stock price value. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more
| VALUE METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | 95 |
|
85 |
|
93 |
|
93 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 84 |
|
89 |
|
74 |
|
61 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 34 |
|
1 |
|
33 |
|
24 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 53 |
|
48 |
|
40 |
|
36 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 79 |
|
58 |
|
63 |
|
61 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 17 (better than 17% compared with alternatives), Centrica shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Centrica. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 25, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 75% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 32, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 8. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 92% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 73, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 73% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 17, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That picture may be the result for a company that has reached the bottom. All went south for Centrica, and it still looks bad, but some investors already see light at the end of the tunnel, rewarding the stock with recent above-market stock returns. It could also mean that investors are correcting an overreaction to negative news. If that were the case, the positive stock returns are not yet a sign of recovery. Investors should look closely at the Value and Sentiment indicators before they make a stock purchasing decision, because growth is unlikely to be the driving argument behind this investment. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is low here. ...read more
| GROWTH METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 77 |
|
6 |
|
1 |
|
25 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 13 |
|
29 |
|
21 |
|
8 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | 7 |
|
76 |
|
52 |
|
32 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 91 |
|
95 |
|
53 |
|
73 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 35 |
|
45 |
|
7 |
|
17 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 87 (better than 87% compared with alternatives) for 2025, the company Centrica has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Centrica is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, where all three are above average for Centrica. Leverage is at 76, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 76% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 99, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 99% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 59, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 59% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 87 (better than 87% compared with alternatives), Centrica has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. These three positive financing indicators signal that the company is less likely to default on its debt obligations. However, it also means that its shareholder returns will be more modest if things go well. A low safety means fewer troubles in downtimes and less upside in good times. Investors may not have a debt issue with Centrica but they should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 2 |
|
6 |
|
62 |
|
76 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 97 |
|
100 |
|
100 |
|
99 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 20 |
|
89 |
|
83 |
|
59 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 29 |
|
79 |
|
94 |
|
87 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
47 |
|
67 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | 72 |
|
56 |
|
50 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | 79 |
|
82 |
|
81 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | 26 |
|
87 |
|
86 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | 67 |
|
86 |
|
95 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for Centrica from July 31, 2025.
Obermatt Portfolio Performance
We’re so convinced about our free research, that we buy our stock tips.
See the performance of the Obermatt portfolio.