Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Sells 23,418 Shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lowered its position in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO - Free Report) by 23.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 75,937 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 23,418 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank's holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $10,576,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atria Investments Inc increased its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 1.3% in 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. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. boosted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 33.3% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. now owns 8,000 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,114,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG bought a new stake in Atmos Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,897,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 50.0% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 12.4% in the fourth quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC now owns 348,988 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $48,604,000 after acquiring an additional 38,459 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.17% of the company's stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ATO has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com cut Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Atmos Energy in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $156.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho upped their target price on Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $143.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Argus upgraded Atmos Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. One equities research 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Atmos Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $148.75.

Atmos Energy Stock Up 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE:ATO traded up $3.09 during trading on Friday, reaching $150.12. 795,673 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 819,201. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.43. Atmos Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $110.97 and a 1-year high of $154.55. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $145.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $141.92. The firm has a market cap of $23.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.67.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO - Get Free Report) last released 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 return on equity of 8.89% and a net margin of 25.90%. Research analysts anticipate that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th were given a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 25th. Atmos Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 49.57%.

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.