Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) Stock Keeps "Buy" Rating at Argus

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating restated by analysts at Argus in a report issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $185.00 price objective on the utilities provider's stock. Argus' price target would indicate a potential upside of 17.07% from the stock's previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Barclays reduced their price target on Atmos Energy from $184.00 to $183.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 price target (down from $198.00) on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Atmos Energy in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price target on Atmos Energy from $188.00 to $179.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, August 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $183.58.

Atmos Energy Trading Down 0.0%

ATO stock opened at $158.03 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.81. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $166.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $174.37. Atmos Energy has a 52 week low of $154.72 and a 52 week high of $192.51. The company has a market capitalization of $26.71 billion, a PE ratio of 18.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.57.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.08. Atmos Energy had a net margin of 28.50% and a return on equity of 9.67%. The business had revenue of $879.06 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $900.82 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.16 earnings per share. 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 8.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Atmos Energy news, Director William Ware bought 300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $167.59 per share, for a total transaction of $50,277.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 488 shares in the company, valued at approximately $81,783.92. This represents a 159.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.43% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Atmos Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 138 shares during the period. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Atmos Energy Company Profile

Atmos Energy Corporation is a regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company delivers natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers and is one of the largest natural gas distributors in the United States.

Atmos Energy operates through two primary businesses: natural gas distribution and pipeline and storage operations. Its distribution activities include acquiring, transporting, storing and delivering natural gas, while its pipeline operations provide transportation and storage services and support the company's distribution network.

The company serves customers across eight states, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.