Bank & Trust Co Makes New $2.22 Million Investment in Atmos Energy Corporation $ATO

Bank & Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 14,202 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,222,000. Atmos Energy comprises approximately 1.1% of Bank & Trust Co’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ATO. S.E.E.D. Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the third quarter valued at about $5,767,000. Kwmg LLC acquired a new position in Atmos Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $9,566,000. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Atmos Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $7,838,000. First Community Trust NA bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $203,000. Finally, Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $110,000. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Atmos Energy Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of ATO traded up $0.31 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $160.05. 205,428 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,223,306. The business has a fifty day moving average of $165.71 and a 200-day moving average of $174.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.05 billion, a PE ratio of 19.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.57. Atmos Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $154.72 and a 1-year high of $192.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $879.06 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 last year, the company earned $1.16 earnings per share. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. Analysts expect that Atmos Energy Corporation will post 8.46 EPS for the current year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Atmos Energy’s payout ratio is currently 47.62%.

Insider Activity at Atmos Energy

In other Atmos Energy news, Director William Ware purchased 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $167.59 per share, with a total value of $50,277.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 488 shares in the company, valued at approximately $81,783.92. This represents a 159.57% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.43% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ATO has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Atmos Energy from $190.00 to $179.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, August 28th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $188.00 to $179.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $173.00 to $167.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Three 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, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $183.58.

Atmos Energy 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.