Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $148.75.

ATO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $143.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $156.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Mizuho boosted their price target on Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. StockNews.com cut Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $156.00 target price for the company.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

Shares of ATO opened at $142.49 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $141.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $138.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.15 billion, a PE ratio of 20.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.72. Atmos Energy has a one year low of $110.46 and a one year high of $152.65.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.03. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 8.83% and a net margin of 25.04%. On average, analysts anticipate that Atmos Energy will post 7.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be paid a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 25th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.44%. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.66%.

Insider Activity at Atmos Energy

In other news, Director Edward Geiser purchased 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $144.89 per share, for a total transaction of $362,225.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 2,602 shares in the company, valued at $377,003.78. This trade represents a 2,450.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Atmos Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new position in Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 1,542.9% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 230 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its holdings in Atmos Energy by 50.0% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. PFS Partners LLC purchased a new position in Atmos Energy during the third quarter valued at $69,000. Finally, Keystone Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Atmos Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $79,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.17% of the company’s stock.

About Atmos Energy

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.