Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) Raised to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Atmos Energy was recently upgraded from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating by Wall Street Zen, indicating a cautious optimism among analysts.
• Several research firms have set varying price targets for Atmos Energy, with an average target of $158.27, reflecting a consensus rating of "Hold".
• Atmos Energy reported $1.16 EPS for the last quarter, missing the consensus estimate, and it has a market capitalization of $26.51 billion.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Sunday.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on ATO. Morgan Stanley set a $156.00 price target on shares of Atmos Energy and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $156.00 to $153.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Argus raised shares of Atmos Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Mizuho cut shares of Atmos Energy from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $165.00 to $164.00 in a report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $163.00 target price (down previously from $171.00) on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, August 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $158.27.

Atmos Energy Stock Up 0.5%

NYSE ATO traded up $0.76 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $166.85. 10,812 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 970,082. Atmos Energy has a 12 month low of $128.12 and a 12 month high of $167.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.78 billion, a PE ratio of 22.91, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a 50 day moving average of $156.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $153.98.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.16 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17 by ($0.01). Atmos Energy had a net margin of 25.05% and a return on equity of 9.00%. The company had revenue of $838.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $848.97 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.08 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Atmos Energy will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Atmos Energy

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ATO. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 191.2% in the 1st quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 166 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 141.2% in the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 234 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 50.0% in the second quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the second quarter worth about $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.17% of the company's stock.

Atmos Energy Company 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.