Barclays PLC set a $84.00 price objective on Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) in a research note issued to investors on Sunday, August 6th. The brokerage currently has a sell rating on the utilities provider’s stock.
A number of other research firms have also recently commented on ATO. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Atmos Energy Corporation from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 4th. BidaskClub raised shares of Atmos Energy Corporation from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 25th. J P Morgan Chase & Co reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $89.00 price objective (up previously from $88.00) on shares of Atmos Energy Corporation in a research note on Thursday, June 1st. Finally, Argus boosted their target price on shares of Atmos Energy Corporation from $89.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $86.83.
Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) traded down 0.39% during trading on Friday, hitting $87.12. The stock had a trading volume of 293,212 shares. The company has a market cap of $9.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.33 and a beta of 0.39. Atmos Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $68.51 and a 52-week high of $88.69. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $85.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $81.53.
Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $526.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $596.52 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Atmos Energy Corporation will post $3.61 EPS for the current year.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 17th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.07%. Atmos Energy Corporation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.13%.
In other news, Director Richard A. Sampson bought 1,500 shares of Atmos Energy Corporation stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 15th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $88.12 per share, with a total value of $132,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $264,360. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.57% of the company’s stock.
Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Atmos Energy Corporation by 6.0% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,353,213 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $106,891,000 after buying an additional 76,037 shares during the last quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Atmos Energy Corporation by 8.8% in the first quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 320,214 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $25,294,000 after buying an additional 25,769 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its stake in Atmos Energy Corporation by 1.0% in the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 50,620 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,998,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Atmos Energy Corporation by 2.5% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 43,800 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,460,000 after buying an additional 1,086 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in Atmos Energy Corporation by 4.2% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 60,292 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,763,000 after buying an additional 2,436 shares in the last quarter. 71.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
About Atmos Energy Corporation
Atmos Energy Corporation is engaged primarily in the regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline businesses, as well as other nonregulated natural gas businesses. The Company operates through three segments: regulated distribution segment, which includes its regulated distribution and related sales operations; regulated pipeline segment, which includes the pipeline and storage operations of its Atmos Pipeline-Texas Division, and nonregulated segment, which includes its nonregulated natural gas management, nonregulated natural gas transmission, storage and other services.
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