97,529 Shares in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Acquired by Natixis

Natixis purchased a new stake in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 97,529 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $13,583,000. Natixis owned about 0.06% of Atmos Energy as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Norinchukin Bank The boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Norinchukin Bank The now owns 7,123 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $992,000 after acquiring an additional 662 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S acquired a new position in Atmos Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $740,000. Capital International Inc. CA raised its stake in Atmos Energy by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Inc. CA now owns 282,458 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $39,338,000 after purchasing an additional 36,595 shares during the last quarter. Capital Group Private Client Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $22,566,000. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its stake in Atmos Energy by 211.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 8,160,144 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,136,463,000 after acquiring an additional 5,543,451 shares during the period. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:ATO traded down $0.39 on Wednesday, hitting $159.72. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,790,296 shares, compared to its average volume of 922,605. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Atmos Energy Co. has a one year low of $110.97 and a one year high of $161.69. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $150.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $145.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.69.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.23 EPS 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%. Research analysts predict that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th were issued a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 25th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.18%. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 49.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Atmos Energy from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded shares of Atmos Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a report on Monday, March 31st. They set a "peer perform" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Atmos Energy from $164.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $154.39.

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.