Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Holdings Lowered by Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.

Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. decreased its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 854,539 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 66,902 shares during the quarter. Atmos Energy comprises approximately 1.4% of Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.'s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. owned approximately 0.55% of Atmos Energy worth $118,533,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 1,542.9% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 230 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in Atmos Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. PFS Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Atmos Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $69,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 158.3% during the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 997 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 611 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 17.9% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 917 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $127,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ATO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised their target price on Atmos Energy from $144.00 to $150.50 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Atmos Energy in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. They set a "hold" rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com raised shares of Atmos Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $134.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective 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. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Atmos Energy has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $147.69.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

ATO traded down $0.91 during trading on Monday, reaching $141.05. 575,782 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 873,567. Atmos Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $110.46 and a 52 week high of $152.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $143.17 and a 200 day moving average of $131.01. The stock has a market cap of $21.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.66, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.70.

Atmos Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 9th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be issued a $0.87 dividend. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.47%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. This is a boost from Atmos Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Atmos Energy

In other Atmos Energy news, Director Edward Geiser bought 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $144.89 per share, with a total value of $362,225.00. Following the purchase, 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 acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.