Nykredit A S Purchases Shares of 66,047 Atmos Energy Corporation $ATO

Key Points

• Nykredit A/S initiated a position in Atmos Energy, purchasing 66,047 shares valued at approximately $11.4 million in the second quarter. Institutional investors own 90.17% of the company, with several other firms also increasing their stakes.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Atmos Energy has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $185.09, while several firms recently lowered their targets.
• Atmos Energy reported quarterly EPS of $1.43, beating estimates of $1.35, and maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $8.40–$8.50. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share, representing a 2.5% annualized yield.

Nykredit A S purchased a new position in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 66,047 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $11,378,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Amundi boosted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 40.0% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 1,823,714 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $314,171,000 after buying an additional 520,828 shares in the last quarter. Groupe la Francaise purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the second quarter worth about $407,000. HB Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 30.0% during the 2nd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,024 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,382,000 after purchasing an additional 1,853 shares during the last quarter. Saudi Central Bank boosted its stake in Atmos Energy by 94.0% during the second quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 11,581 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,995,000 after buying an additional 5,611 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC increased its position in Atmos Energy by 7.0% during the second quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC now owns 1,525 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $263,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ATO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $198.00) on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $190.00 to $179.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $192.00 to $184.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $185.09.

Insider Transactions at Atmos Energy

In other Atmos Energy news, Director William Ware purchased 300 shares of Atmos Energy stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 488 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $81,783.92. This trade represents a 159.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.43% of the company's stock.

Atmos Energy Stock Down 0.0%

ATO opened at $160.23 on Monday. The business's fifty day moving average is $170.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $176.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $27.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.05, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.60. Atmos Energy Corporation has a one year low of $159.98 and a one year high of $192.51.

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

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 yield of 2.5%. Atmos Energy's payout ratio is presently 47.56%.

Atmos Energy 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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