Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the nine brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $148.61.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ATO shares. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday. They issued a "buy" rating and a $156.00 price objective for the company. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $129.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com raised Atmos Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Atmos Energy from $134.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

ATO traded up $0.37 during trading on Friday, reaching $140.59. 612,098 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 871,332. Atmos Energy has a 12-month low of $110.46 and a 12-month high of $152.65. The company's 50-day moving average is $143.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $131.72. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a market cap of $21.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.70.

Atmos Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 9th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th were issued a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.48%. This is a boost from Atmos Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Edward Geiser acquired 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $144.89 per share, for a total transaction of $362,225.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 2,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,003.78. This represents a 2,450.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atmos Energy

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Diversified Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 52.5% during the second quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 3,003 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $350,000 after purchasing an additional 1,034 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Atmos Energy by 767.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 78,591 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $9,168,000 after acquiring an additional 69,526 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB increased its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 565.3% in the second quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 40,621 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,738,000 after acquiring an additional 34,515 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 7.5% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 323,614 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $37,750,000 after acquiring an additional 22,531 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 1,106.1% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,570 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $424,000 after purchasing an additional 3,274 shares during the period. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Atmos Energy Company 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.