Mather Group LLC. Decreases Holdings in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO)

Mather Group LLC. reduced its position in shares of Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) by 3.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 95,222 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 3,182 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. owned about 0.06% of Atmos Energy worth $14,719,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Amalgamated Bank boosted its position in Atmos Energy by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 31,467 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,864,000 after buying an additional 507 shares during the period. KBC Group NV increased its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 17.6% in the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 328,185 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $50,731,000 after purchasing an additional 49,169 shares during the last quarter. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $237,000. Little House Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 22.4% in the 1st quarter. Little House Capital LLC now owns 9,934 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,536,000 after purchasing an additional 1,817 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Confluence Wealth Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy during the 1st quarter worth $263,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.17% of the company's stock.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:ATO traded up $0.84 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $152.35. 412,875 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 920,171. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. Atmos Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $113.46 and a 1-year high of $167.45. The company has a 50-day moving average of $155.78 and a 200 day moving average of $149.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.70.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.05% and a net margin of 25.35%. The company had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.85 EPS. The company's revenue was up 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Atmos Energy Corporation will post 7.18 EPS for the current year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 27th were paid a $0.87 dividend. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 27th. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Atmos Energy

In other Atmos Energy news, Director Kim R. Cocklin sold 15,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.98, for a total transaction of $2,264,700.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 172,632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,063,979.36. The trade was a 7.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Argus upgraded Atmos Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised Atmos Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $156.00 target price on Atmos Energy and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Monday, March 31st. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $156.05.

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.