Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Shares Acquired by Larson Financial Group LLC

Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) by 11.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,752 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 398 shares during the quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $522,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ATO. Machina Capital S.A.S. purchased a new stake in Atmos Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,236,000. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $5,177,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in Atmos Energy by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,074 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $707,000 after purchasing an additional 494 shares during the period. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in Atmos Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $393,000. Finally, Hartford Funds Management Co LLC raised its position in Atmos Energy by 26.1% in the fourth quarter. Hartford Funds Management Co LLC now owns 6,509 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $907,000 after purchasing an additional 1,349 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.17% of the company’s stock.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

ATO opened at $148.63 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.17, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a 50-day moving average of $144.05 and a 200-day moving average of $141.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 1.56. Atmos Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $110.97 and a 1-year high of $154.55.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $0.03. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 8.89% and a net margin of 25.90%. Equities analysts expect that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.34%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 25th. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $143.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $156.00 target price on the stock. Argus raised shares of Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $148.75.

About Atmos Energy

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.