GAMMA Investing LLC Buys 15,694 Shares of Atmos Energy Corporation $ATO

Key Points

• GAMMA Investing LLC increased its Atmos Energy position by 376.2% in the third quarter, purchasing 15,694 additional shares for a total holding of 19,866 shares valued at approximately $3.1 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 90.17% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans toward a “Hold” consensus, with three Buy ratings and eleven Holds and an average price target of $183.58. Atmos Energy shares opened at $161.69, near the lower end of their 12-month range.
• Atmos Energy exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $1.43 versus the $1.35 consensus estimate, while revenue came in below forecasts. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $1.00, equal to a 2.5% annualized yield.

GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) by 376.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 19,866 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 15,694 shares during the quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC's holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $3,108,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Atmos Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $105,000. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC acquired a new stake in Atmos Energy in the third quarter valued at $209,000. Factor Wealth Management LTD acquired a new stake in Atmos Energy in the third quarter valued at $92,000. Hamilton Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $286,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 476.9% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 22,325 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $3,493,000 after purchasing an additional 18,455 shares in the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director William Ware acquired 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, for a total transaction of $50,277.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 488 shares of the company's stock, valued at $81,783.92. The trade was a 159.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Argus reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $185.00 price objective on shares of Atmos Energy in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Atmos Energy from $173.00 to $167.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $198.00) on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $183.58.

Atmos Energy Stock Up 0.6%

ATO stock opened at $161.69 on Friday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $164.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.32 billion, a PE ratio of 19.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 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 company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.08. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.67% and a net margin of 28.50%. The firm had revenue of $879.06 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $900.82 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.16 EPS. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Atmos Energy Corporation will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

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