Barclays Lowers Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) Price Target to $153.00

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) had its target price decreased by Barclays from $156.00 to $153.00 in a research report report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an equal weight rating on the utilities provider's stock.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on ATO. Argus upgraded shares of Atmos Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $156.00 target price on Atmos Energy and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Atmos Energy in a research report on Monday, March 31st. They issued a "peer perform" rating on the stock. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded Atmos Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $156.95.

Atmos Energy Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of ATO traded down $0.11 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $154.26. 436,931 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 914,446. The firm has a market cap of $24.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.43, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.70. Atmos Energy has a 12-month low of $117.78 and a 12-month high of $167.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $154.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $150.20.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.92 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.05% and a net margin of 25.35%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.85 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Atmos Energy will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 27th were paid a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 27th. Atmos Energy's payout ratio is 48.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kim R. Cocklin sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.98, for a total value of $2,264,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 172,632 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,063,979.36. This represents a 7.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATO. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 166.8% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,189 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $646,000 after acquiring an additional 2,619 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $305,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 40,246 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $6,202,000 after acquiring an additional 2,483 shares during the period. AA Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Atmos Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $212,000. Finally, Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY boosted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 53,505 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $8,246,000 after acquiring an additional 1,800 shares during the period. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.