Atmos Energy's (ATO) "Buy (B+)" Rating Reaffirmed at Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Atmos Energy's stock has been reaffirmed with a "Buy (B+)" rating by Weiss Ratings, indicating positive analyst sentiment towards the company's performance.
• Price targets for Atmos Energy vary among analysts, with Mizuho raising its target to $170.00 and Barclays lowering it to $153.00, reflecting diverse perspectives within the market.
• The company reported EPS of $1.16 in its last earnings release, slightly missing the consensus estimate, with projected earnings of 7.18 for the current year.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy (b+)" rating reissued by stock analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research report issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $156.00 to $153.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $164.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, September 26th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $159.00 price target (up from $146.00) on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Argus set a $172.00 price target on Atmos Energy in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Atmos Energy from $162.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $162.50.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ATO traded up $0.92 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $175.83. 740,298 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 950,217. Atmos Energy has a one year low of $136.05 and a one year high of $176.11. 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 business's fifty day moving average is $165.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $158.39. The stock has a market cap of $28.22 billion, a PE ratio of 24.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.74.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.16 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.17 by ($0.01). Atmos Energy had a net margin of 25.05% and a return on equity of 9.00%. The business 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 business earned $1.08 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Atmos Energy will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atmos Energy

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 191.2% during the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 166 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 141.2% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 234 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 50.0% during the 2nd quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in Atmos Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $46,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 379.7% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 331 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.

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