Keybank National Association OH Increases Stock Holdings in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO)

Keybank National Association OH raised its stake in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) by 4.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,174 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH’s holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $1,278,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new position in Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 1,542.9% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 230 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. PFS Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $69,000. Finally, Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $79,000. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

Atmos Energy stock opened at $148.63 on Friday. Atmos Energy Co. has a one year low of $110.97 and a one year high of $154.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 1.56. The business has a fifty day moving average of $144.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $141.18. The company has a market cap of $23.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.67.

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 8.89% and a net margin of 25.90%. As a group, analysts predict that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be issued a $0.87 dividend. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.34%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 25th. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on ATO shares. Argus upgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $156.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered 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. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $148.75.

Atmos Energy Profile

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.