Atmos Energy Co. Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.87 (NYSE:ATO)

Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, February 4th,RTT News reports. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be given a dividend of 0.87 per share by the utilities provider on Monday, March 10th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 25th.

Atmos Energy has raised its dividend payment by an average of 8.7% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 35 years. Atmos Energy has a payout ratio of 45.0% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Atmos Energy to earn $7.73 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.48 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 45.0%.

Atmos Energy Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE ATO traded down $0.63 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $142.49. 660,083 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 915,958. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.30, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.72. Atmos Energy has a 52-week low of $110.46 and a 52-week high of $152.65. The company's 50-day moving average is $141.10 and its 200-day moving average is $138.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 1.56.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $0.03. Atmos Energy had a net margin of 25.90% and a return on equity of 8.89%. Analysts expect that Atmos Energy will post 7.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho increased their price target on Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. StockNews.com lowered Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $143.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Argus upgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Finally, 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 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Atmos Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $148.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Edward Geiser purchased 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $144.89 per share, for a total transaction of $362,225.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 2,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at $377,003.78. This trade represents a 2,450.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.