Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Shares Acquired by Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) by 11.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,665 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $650,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATO. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 1,542.9% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 230 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its stake in Atmos Energy by 50.0% in the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. PFS Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy during the third quarter worth about $69,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 17.9% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 917 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 50.8% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 992 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $138,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares during the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on ATO shares. Bank of America initiated coverage on Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $156.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $143.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $129.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $148.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at Atmos Energy

In related news, Director Edward Geiser purchased 2,500 shares of Atmos Energy stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $144.89 per share, for a total transaction of $362,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,003.78. The trade was a 2,450.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.48% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

NYSE ATO opened at $141.14 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The business’s 50 day moving average is $142.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $137.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.55, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.71. Atmos Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $110.46 and a 12-month high of $152.65.

Atmos Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 9th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were given a $0.87 dividend. This is a boost from Atmos Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.47%. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.66%.

Atmos Energy Profile

Atmos Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated natural gas distribution, and pipeline and storage businesses in the United States. It operates through two segments, Distribution, and Pipeline and Storage. The Distribution segment is involved in the regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states.