Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Shares Sold by National Pension Service

National Pension Service reduced its position in shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) by 11.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 195,809 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 26,334 shares during the period. National Pension Service owned 0.13% of Atmos Energy worth $27,270,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 1,542.9% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 230 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. PFS Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $69,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $79,000. Finally, Slocum Gordon & Co LLP bought a new position in Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $125,000. Institutional investors own 90.17% of the company's stock.

Atmos Energy Stock Down 1.0 %

NYSE ATO traded down $1.53 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $148.23. 724,059 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 902,832. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $143.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $141.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.43. The firm has a market cap of $23.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.72. Atmos Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $110.97 and a 12-month high of $154.55.

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

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be given a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 25th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.35%. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 49.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America began coverage on Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a "buy" rating and a $156.00 price objective on the stock. Argus upgraded Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $143.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Mizuho lifted their target price on Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average 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.