Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Director Purchases $362,225.00 in Stock

Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) Director Edward Geiser bought 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $144.89 per share, with a total value of $362,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,003.78. This represents a 2,400.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

ATO traded up $1.07 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $147.18. 36,735 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 871,857. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $138.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $126.93. Atmos Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $110.40 and a 12 month high of $147.52. The stock has a market cap of $22.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.57.

Atmos Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 9th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th. 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 2.36%. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.66%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on ATO shares. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $129.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Atmos Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $155.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Atmos Energy from $134.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Atmos Energy from $128.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $143.94.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atmos Energy

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY increased its position in Atmos Energy by 0.3% in the second quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 30,179 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,520,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Atmos Energy by 3.7% in the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,307 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $320,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its position in Atmos Energy by 1.4% in the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 5,973 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $829,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 3.9% during the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 2,328 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $272,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 5.4% during the second quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,880 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $219,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.