Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Shares Sold by Sigma Planning Corp

Sigma Planning Corp reduced its stake in shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) by 34.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,402 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 1,778 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corp's holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $474,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 10.8% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 13,745,352 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,906,618,000 after buying an additional 1,341,640 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,800,610 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,498,153,000 after acquiring an additional 362,594 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 885,950 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $122,890,000 after acquiring an additional 34,555 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 636,660 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $88,311,000 after acquiring an additional 13,714 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 15.0% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 560,790 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $77,788,000 after purchasing an additional 73,007 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.17% of the company's stock.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

Shares of Atmos Energy stock traded up $1.52 on Monday, hitting $153.65. 592,439 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 894,011. Atmos Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $110.97 and a 1-year high of $154.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $143.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $140.64.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.03. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 8.89% and a net margin of 25.90%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be issued a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 25th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.26%. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the company. Mizuho raised their price objective on Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $156.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley dropped 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. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $148.75.

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.