Atmos Energy Corporation $ATO Shares Acquired by IFP Advisors Inc

IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) by 262.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,514 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,336 shares during the quarter. IFP Advisors Inc’s holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $1,801,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the third quarter valued at about $143,000. Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Atmos Energy during the third quarter worth about $176,000. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Atmos Energy during the third quarter valued at about $221,000. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC bought a new position in Atmos Energy during the third quarter valued at about $661,000. Finally, Gemmer Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Atmos Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $155,000. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:ATO opened at $166.75 on Thursday. Atmos Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $154.72 and a 12-month 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 firm has a market capitalization of $28.18 billion, a PE ratio of 19.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.57. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $163.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $172.65.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $879.06 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $900.82 million. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.67% and a net margin of 28.50%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.16 earnings per share. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Atmos Energy Corporation will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Monday, August 24th were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 24th. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.62%.

Insider Activity at Atmos Energy

In related news, Director William Ware purchased 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $167.59 per share, with a total value of $50,277.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 488 shares in the company, valued at $81,783.92. This represents a 159.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ATO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Atmos Energy in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price objective (down from $198.00) on shares of Atmos Energy in a report on Friday, September 11th. Truist Financial cut their target price on Atmos Energy from $179.00 to $174.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $185.00 target price on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Barclays decreased 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 note on Tuesday, July 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $183.27.

Atmos Energy Profile

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) is a regulated natural gas utility that distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. The company also operates natural gas pipeline and storage assets, supporting the transportation and management of gas within its service areas.

Atmos Energy serves more than 3 million distribution customers across eight states, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Kansas and Colorado. Its distribution operations include a large network of natural gas pipelines and related infrastructure, while its pipeline and storage business provides transportation and storage services primarily in Texas and Mississippi.

The company traces its history to 1906 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.