Atmos Energy Corporation $ATO Shares Newly Purchased by Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc.

Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. acquired a new stake in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 468,947 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $73,362,000. Atmos Energy comprises 1.2% of Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 627.3% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 90.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

Shares of ATO traded up $1.09 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $163.47. 803,599 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,232,018. Atmos Energy Corporation has a one year low of $154.72 and a one year high of $192.51. The firm has a market cap of $27.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.46, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $164.63 and a 200-day moving average of $173.60.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $879.06 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $900.82 million. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.67% and a net margin of 28.50%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.16 EPS. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Atmos Energy Corporation will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 24th were issued a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 24th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.62%.

Insider Activity

In other Atmos Energy news, Director William Ware acquired 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $167.59 per share, for a total transaction of $50,277.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 488 shares in the company, valued at $81,783.92. This represents a 159.57% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.43% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ATO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $173.00 to $167.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Atmos Energy from $190.00 to $179.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Atmos Energy in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Finally, Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $185.00 price target on shares of Atmos Energy in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Atmos Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $183.58.

About Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy Corporation is a regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company delivers natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers and is one of the largest natural gas distributors in the United States.

Atmos Energy operates through two primary businesses: natural gas distribution and pipeline and storage operations. Its distribution activities include acquiring, transporting, storing and delivering natural gas, while its pipeline operations provide transportation and storage services and support the company’s distribution network.

The company serves customers across eight states, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.