Slocum Gordon & Co LLP Takes Position in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO)

Slocum Gordon & Co LLP acquired a new position in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 900 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $125,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Dunhill Financial LLC raised its holdings in Atmos Energy by 1,542.9% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 230 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. PFS Partners LLC bought a new position in Atmos Energy during the third quarter worth $69,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $79,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Atmos Energy by 17.9% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 917 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $127,000 after acquiring an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

Shares of ATO stock opened at $143.07 on Friday. Atmos Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $110.46 and a 12 month high of $152.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.24 billion, a PE ratio of 20.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.72. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $141.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $138.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.03. Atmos Energy had a net margin of 25.04% and a return on equity of 8.83%. Analysts forecast that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be issued a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 25th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.43%. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.66%.

Insider Activity at Atmos Energy

In related news, Director Edward Geiser acquired 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $144.89 per share, for a total transaction of $362,225.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 2,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,003.78. The trade was a 2,450.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.48% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ATO shares. Argus raised Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $143.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Bank of America assumed coverage on Atmos Energy in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $156.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Atmos Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $148.75.

Atmos Energy 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.