S.E.E.D. Planning Group LLC Acquires 36,862 Shares of Atmos Energy Corporation $ATO

Key Points

• S.E.E.D. Planning Group LLC acquired 36,862 shares of Atmos Energy worth approximately $5.77 million, while institutional investors collectively own 90.17% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Atmos Energy has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $183.58, despite three Buy ratings.
• Atmos Energy reported quarterly EPS of $1.43, exceeding estimates of $1.35, and maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.00, equivalent to a 2.5% annual yield.

S.E.E.D. Planning Group LLC bought a new position in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 36,862 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $5,767,000. Atmos Energy accounts for about 1.4% of S.E.E.D. Planning Group LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ATO. Kwmg LLC bought a new stake in Atmos Energy during the third quarter valued at about $9,566,000. American National Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the third quarter worth about $7,838,000. First Community Trust NA purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $203,000. Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $110,000. Finally, RVW Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $158,000. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director William Ware acquired 300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $167.59 per share, with a total value of $50,277.00. Following 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 purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.43% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ATO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $190.00 to $179.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $180.00 price objective (down from $198.00) on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Argus restated a "buy" rating and set a $185.00 price objective on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company initiated 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. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $188.00 to $179.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Atmos Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $183.58.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

NYSE ATO traded up $0.55 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $160.29. The company's stock had a trading volume of 256,283 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,223,453. Atmos Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $154.72 and a 1 year high of $192.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a market capitalization of $27.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.08, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.57. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $165.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $174.19.

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

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

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