Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $183.90.

Several research analysts have commented on ATO shares. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $182.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Argus reduced their price objective on Atmos Energy from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $190.00 price objective on Atmos Energy in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Mizuho lowered their target price on Atmos Energy from $192.00 to $184.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on Atmos Energy from $195.00 to $187.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Atmos Energy stock traded up $1.50 during trading on Friday, hitting $176.22. 527,259 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,242,316. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $174.74 and its 200 day moving average is $177.01. The stock has a market cap of $29.42 billion, a PE ratio of 21.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.00. Atmos Energy has a 12 month low of $152.80 and a 12 month high of $192.51.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $3.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.37 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.94 billion. Atmos Energy had a net margin of 27.58% and a return on equity of 9.59%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.03 EPS. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Atmos Energy will post 8.45 EPS for the current year.

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 26th were paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 26th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 49.14%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atmos Energy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Garner Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Atmos Energy by 85.9% in the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 158 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new position in Atmos Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Atmos Energy by 627.3% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the period. Finally, Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 270.2% during the 4th quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 174 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE: ATO) is a U.S.-based natural-gas utility that primarily focuses on the regulated distribution of natural gas. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company operates through local distribution systems to deliver natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and electric generation customers. Atmos’s core activities include pipeline operations, gas distribution, system maintenance and reliability programs designed to ensure safe and continuous service to its customers.

The company’s services encompass gas delivery, system integrity and maintenance, storage and transmission connections, and customer-facing programs such as billing, conservation initiatives and energy-efficiency offerings.