Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) Stock Price Target Raised at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised Atmos Energy’s price target from $179 to $182 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, implying 8.56% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious overall: Atmos Energy has an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $183.27, although targets range from $167 to $200.
• The stock traded at $167.64, while the company recently exceeded quarterly EPS expectations with $1.43 versus a $1.35 consensus estimate; institutional investors own approximately 90.17% of shares.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $179.00 to $182.00 in a report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "equal weight" rating on the utilities provider's stock. Morgan Stanley's price target would indicate a potential upside of 8.56% from the company's previous close.

ATO has been the topic of a number of other reports. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Atmos Energy from $173.00 to $167.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Atmos Energy from $179.00 to $174.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Argus reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $185.00 price target on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $183.27.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

ATO stock traded up $0.51 on Wednesday, hitting $167.64. The company had a trading volume of 159,148 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,217,949. The stock has a market cap of $28.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $163.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $172.81. Atmos Energy has a 12-month low of $154.72 and a 12-month high of $192.51.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $879.06 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $900.82 million. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.67% and a net margin of 28.50%. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.16 EPS. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Atmos Energy will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Atmos Energy

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atmos Energy

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sowell Financial Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 2,582 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $404,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. purchased a new position in Atmos Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $431,000. Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 15.4% in the third quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 70,830 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $11,613,000 after acquiring an additional 9,450 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 2.3% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 22,149 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $3,465,000 after acquiring an additional 505 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Investment Research Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 63.7% during the third quarter. Investment Research Partners LLC now owns 1,904 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $298,000 after buying an additional 741 shares in the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy Corporation NYSE: ATO is a regulated natural gas utility that distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. The company also operates natural gas pipeline and storage assets, supporting the transportation and management of gas within its service areas.

Atmos Energy serves more than 3 million distribution customers across eight states, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Kansas and Colorado. Its distribution operations include a large network of natural gas pipelines and related infrastructure, while its pipeline and storage business provides transportation and storage services primarily in Texas and Mississippi.

The company traces its history to 1906 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

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