Atmos (ATO) possesses solid growth attributes, which could help it handily outperform the market.
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Atmos Energy (ATO) makes a strong case for investment, given its growth prospects, better debt management and ability to increase shareholders' value.
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Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC decreased its position in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO – Free Report) by 14.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 9,495 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 1,547 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC’s holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $1,100,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in ATO. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 4.1% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 26,696 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,828,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in Atmos Energy by 11.5% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,084 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $327,000 after purchasing an additional 318 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its position in Atmos Energy by 78.4% during the 3rd quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 19,495 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,065,000 after purchasing an additional 8,570 shares during the last quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board lifted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 7,500 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $794,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 60,297 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $6,387,000 after buying an additional 4,996 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.17% of the company’s stock. Insider Transactions at Atmos Energy In related news, Director Diana J. Walters sold 400 shares of Atmos Energy stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.00, for a total value of $47,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 3,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $419,018. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, Director Diana J. Walters sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.00, for a total value of $47,200.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 3,551 shares in the company, valued at $419,018. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Kim R. Cocklin sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.46, for a total transaction of $1,746,900.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 186,339 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,701,039.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock. Atmos Energy Stock Performance Atmos Energy stock opened at $118.64 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $116.99 and its 200 day moving average is $114.99. The company has a market capitalization of $17.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.79, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.66. Atmos Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $101.00 and a twelve month high of $125.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $2.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.62 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.54 billion. Atmos Energy had a net margin of 24.65% and a return on equity of 9.01%. Atmos Energy’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.48 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Atmos Energy Co. will post 6.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Atmos Energy Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 28th will be issued a $0.805 dividend. This represents a $3.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.71%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 24th. Atmos Energy’s payout ratio is 48.28%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Mizuho raised their price target on Atmos Energy from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Atmos Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $130.00 to $132.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, April 12th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $124.00 price target for the company. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $121.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 14th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Atmos Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.17. Read Our Latest Research Report on ATO Atmos Energy Company Profile (Free Report) Atmos Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated natural gas distribution, and pipeline and storage businesses in the United States. It operates through two segments, Distribution, and Pipeline and Storage. The Distribution segment is involved in the regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states.
Panagora Asset Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO – Free Report) by 5.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 23,208 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 1,303 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $2,690,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 26,696 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,828,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in Atmos Energy by 11.5% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,084 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 318 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 78.4% in the third quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 19,495 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,065,000 after purchasing an additional 8,570 shares in the last quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board increased its stake in Atmos Energy by 7.1% in the third quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 7,500 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $794,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Atmos Energy by 9.0% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 60,297 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $6,387,000 after purchasing an additional 4,996 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.17% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $121.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. StockNews.com upgraded Atmos Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 10th. Mizuho upped their target price on Atmos Energy from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 13th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, April 12th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $124.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Atmos Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $130.00 to $132.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.17. View Our Latest Stock Report on Atmos Energy Atmos Energy Price Performance Shares of ATO opened at $118.64 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $116.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $114.99. Atmos Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $101.00 and a twelve month high of $125.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.90 billion, a PE ratio of 17.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.66. Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $2.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.62 by $0.23. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.01% and a net margin of 24.65%. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.54 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.48 earnings per share. Atmos Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Atmos Energy Co. will post 6.75 earnings per share for the current year. Atmos Energy Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.805 per share. This represents a $3.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.71%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 24th. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.28%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Kim R. Cocklin sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.46, for a total transaction of $1,746,900.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 186,339 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,701,039.94. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Kim R. Cocklin sold 15,000 shares of Atmos Energy stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.46, for a total transaction of $1,746,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 186,339 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,701,039.94. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Diana J. Walters sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.00, for a total transaction of $47,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 3,551 shares in the company, valued at $419,018. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Atmos Energy Company Profile (Free Report) Atmos Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated natural gas distribution, and pipeline and storage businesses in the United States. It operates through two segments, Distribution, and Pipeline and Storage. 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