Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) saw a large drop in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 3,856,246 shares, a drop of 13.8% from the January 15th total of 4,475,871 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,173,910 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Approximately 2.3% of the company’s shares are sold short. Approximately 2.3% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,173,910 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days.

Atmos Energy Trading Up 0.6%

ATO traded up $1.15 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $180.40. 278,657 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,502,505. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $169.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $169.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.85 billion, a PE ratio of 23.42, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.75. Atmos Energy has a 52-week low of $141.59 and a 52-week high of $181.01.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The utilities provider reported $2.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.41 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $1.34 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.21 billion. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.20% and a net margin of 25.67%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.23 earnings per share. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.150-8.350 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Atmos Energy will post 7.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 9th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 23rd. Atmos Energy’s payout ratio is currently 51.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on ATO. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Atmos Energy in a report on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho increased their price target on Atmos Energy from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $159.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on Atmos Energy from $163.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Atmos Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $174.33.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Sean Donohue sold 450 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.15, for a total value of $77,017.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 877 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $150,098.55. This trade represents a 33.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atmos Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Garner Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 85.9% during the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 158 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.17% of the company’s stock.

Atmos Energy Company Profile

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE: ATO) is a U.S.-based natural-gas utility that primarily focuses on the regulated distribution of natural gas. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company operates through local distribution systems to deliver natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and electric generation customers. Atmos’s core activities include pipeline operations, gas distribution, system maintenance and reliability programs designed to ensure safe and continuous service to its customers.

The company’s services encompass gas delivery, system integrity and maintenance, storage and transmission connections, and customer-facing programs such as billing, conservation initiatives and energy-efficiency offerings.