Atmos Energy Corporation $ATO Stock: Farther Finance Advisors LLC Raises Holdings

Key Points

• Farther Finance Advisors increased its Atmos Energy stake by 476.9% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 22,325 shares valued at approximately $3.49 million. Institutional investors collectively own 90.17% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $183.58; targets range from $167 to $200.
• Atmos Energy exceeded quarterly earnings expectations with EPS of $1.43 versus the $1.35 consensus estimate, while maintaining a $4.00 annualized dividend yielding about 2.5%.

Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) by 476.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 22,325 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 18,455 shares during the quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC's holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $3,493,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ATO. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy during the second quarter worth $2,624,975,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Atmos Energy by 11.0% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 4,199,433 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $775,719,000 after buying an additional 416,933 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in Atmos Energy in the second quarter valued at $431,677,000. Amundi lifted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 40.0% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 1,823,714 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $314,171,000 after buying an additional 520,828 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Atmos Energy in the second quarter valued at $276,558,000. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director William Ware acquired 300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $167.59 per share, with a total value of $50,277.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 488 shares of the company's stock, valued at $81,783.92. This trade represents a 159.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $184.00 to $183.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on Atmos Energy from $173.00 to $167.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Argus reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $185.00 price objective on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Atmos Energy in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Atmos Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $183.58.

Atmos Energy Stock Up 0.0%

Atmos Energy stock opened at $161.69 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $27.32 billion, a PE ratio of 19.25, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.57. Atmos Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $154.72 and a 12-month high of $192.51. The firm's fifty day moving average is $164.85 and its 200 day moving average is $173.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 period last year, the company posted $1.16 earnings per share. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Atmos Energy Corporation will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 24th were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 24th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 47.62%.

Atmos Energy Company Profile

Atmos Energy Corporation is a regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company delivers natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers and is one of the largest natural gas distributors in the United States.

Atmos Energy operates through two primary businesses: natural gas distribution and pipeline and storage operations. Its distribution activities include acquiring, transporting, storing and delivering natural gas, while its pipeline operations provide transportation and storage services and support the company's distribution network.

The company serves customers across eight states, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

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