Pacer Advisors Inc. Sells 16,306 Shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO)

Pacer Advisors Inc. lessened its position in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) by 37.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 27,694 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 16,306 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $3,857,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 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. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its stake in Atmos Energy by 50.0% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. PFS Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $69,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings 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 during the period. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its position in Atmos Energy by 50.8% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 992 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $138,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.17% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on ATO. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $143.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Bank of America assumed coverage on Atmos Energy in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $156.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $148.75.

Atmos Energy Trading Up 1.2 %

Atmos Energy stock opened at $142.72 on Friday. Atmos Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $110.46 and a 52 week high of $152.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.18 billion, a PE ratio of 20.77, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.71. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $142.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $137.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.94.

Atmos Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 9th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th were paid a dividend of $0.87 per share. This is a boost from Atmos Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.44%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 50.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Atmos Energy

In related news, Director Edward Geiser bought 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $144.89 per share, with a total value of $362,225.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 2,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,003.78. This represents a 2,450.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.48% 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.