Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. Cuts Stake in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO)

Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. decreased its stake in shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 819,458 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 35,081 shares during the period. Atmos Energy comprises about 1.4% of Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $114,126,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ATO. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC increased its position in Atmos Energy by 856.2% in the fourth quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 1,396 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $194,000 after purchasing an additional 1,250 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter worth $206,538,000. Blair William & Co. IL grew its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 3,135 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $437,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Atmos Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $679,000. Finally, NEOS Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Atmos Energy by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 6,066 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $845,000 after buying an additional 1,238 shares in the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

Shares of Atmos Energy stock opened at $150.98 on Friday. Atmos Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $110.97 and a twelve month high of $154.55. The firm has a market cap of $23.96 billion, a PE ratio of 21.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $146.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.06.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 25th were given a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 25th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.30%. Atmos Energy’s payout ratio is 49.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ATO. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Atmos Energy from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Argus upgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised shares of Atmos Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $156.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Atmos Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.15.

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.