Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) Sets New 52-Week High - Time to Buy?

Shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $161.49 and last traded at $160.37, with a volume of 660859 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $156.54.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ATO has been the topic of a number of research reports. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised shares of Atmos Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 17th. StockNews.com downgraded Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Atmos Energy in a report on Monday, March 31st. They issued a "peer perform" rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Atmos Energy from $164.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $154.39.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $25.13 billion, a PE ratio of 22.55, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.43. The stock's 50-day moving average is $151.49 and its 200 day moving average is $145.68.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.23 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $0.03. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 8.89% and a net margin of 25.90%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th were given a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 25th. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 49.57%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new stake in Atmos Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Atmos Energy by 72.5% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 245 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC acquired a new position in Atmos Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its position in Atmos Energy by 50.0% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, South Plains Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Atmos Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.