Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) Stock Has Average Price Target of $185.09

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is neutral: Atmos Energy has a consensus “Hold” rating from 13 analysts, with 10 holds and three buys. The average 12-month price target is $185.09.
• Recent results exceeded earnings expectations: The company reported quarterly EPS of $1.43, beating the $1.35 consensus estimate, while revenue of $879.06 million fell short of expectations. Management provided fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $8.40–$8.50.
• Shares have weakened but offer a 2.6% dividend yield: ATO opened at $156.39, near its 12-month low of $155.00, compared with a high of $192.51. Atmos Energy recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share, or $4.00 annualized.

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Hold" from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $185.09.

ATO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Mizuho cut their target price on Atmos Energy from $192.00 to $184.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $198.00) on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Atmos Energy in a report on Monday, July 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $188.00 to $179.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 13th.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director William Ware purchased 300 shares of Atmos Energy stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $167.59 per share, with a total value of $50,277.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 488 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $81,783.92. The trade was a 159.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.43% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Atmos Energy

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Atmos Energy during the second quarter worth $2,624,975,000. Capital International Investors raised its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 11,893,826 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,993,968,000 after buying an additional 927,986 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,214,985 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $703,824,000 after buying an additional 78,438 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in Atmos Energy by 11.0% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 4,199,433 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $775,719,000 after acquiring an additional 416,933 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG lifted its stake in Atmos Energy by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,887,367 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $484,009,000 after acquiring an additional 47,860 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.17% of the company's stock.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

Shares of ATO stock opened at $156.39 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The firm's 50-day moving average is $169.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $175.81. Atmos Energy has a 12 month low of $155.00 and a 12 month high of $192.51. The company has a market capitalization of $26.43 billion, a PE ratio of 18.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.60.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $879.06 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $900.82 million. Atmos Energy had a net margin of 28.50% and a return on equity of 9.67%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.16 EPS. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. Analysts predict that Atmos Energy will post 8.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 24th were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 24th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.56%.

Atmos Energy Company Profile

Atmos Energy Corporation NYSE: ATO is a regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Through its utility operations, the company delivers natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers, with services focused on safe and reliable energy delivery.

Atmos Energy serves customers across eight states: Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Its operations include local natural gas distribution as well as pipeline transportation and storage activities, primarily through its Atmos Pipeline-Texas business.

The company traces its roots to 1906 and has expanded over time through growth and acquisitions in the natural gas industry.

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