Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) Now Covered by Analysts at Bank of America

Analysts at Bank of America started coverage on shares of Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Friday. The brokerage set a "buy" rating and a $156.00 price target on the utilities provider's stock. Bank of America's target price would suggest a potential upside of 10.96% from the company's previous close.

ATO has been the topic of several other reports. Mizuho lifted their target price on Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Atmos Energy in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. They issued a "hold" rating and a $155.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded Atmos Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Morgan Stanley decreased 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 note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $129.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Atmos Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $148.61.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

ATO traded up $0.37 during trading on Friday, hitting $140.59. The company's stock had a trading volume of 612,098 shares, compared to its average volume of 871,332. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $143.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $131.52. The firm has a market cap of $21.85 billion, a PE ratio of 20.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.70. Atmos Energy has a one year low of $110.46 and a one year high of $152.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Atmos Energy

In other news, Director Edward Geiser acquired 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $144.89 per share, with a total value of $362,225.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,602 shares of the company's stock, 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 filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Atmos Energy

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Atria Investments Inc boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 1.3% during the third quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 31,399 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,355,000 after buying an additional 402 shares during the period. Swedbank AB increased its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 565.3% during the second quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 40,621 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,738,000 after buying an additional 34,515 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in Atmos Energy by 3.6% in the second quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 419,721 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $48,960,000 after acquiring an additional 14,440 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 25,568 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $2,983,000 after purchasing an additional 8,774 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amalgamated Bank increased its holdings in Atmos Energy by 39.2% during the second quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 42,940 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $5,009,000 after buying an additional 12,084 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.17% of the company's stock.

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.