Ameriprise Financial Inc. Sells 20,889 Shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO)

Ameriprise Financial Inc. trimmed its holdings in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) by 15.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 110,959 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 20,889 shares during the quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. owned 0.07% of Atmos Energy worth $15,457,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 72.5% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 245 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $51,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $79,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 23.0% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 598 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $83,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

Atmos Energy stock opened at $157.61 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $154.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $147.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Atmos Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $110.97 and a 12-month high of $167.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.74.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.92 by $0.11. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 8.89% and a net margin of 25.90%. The business had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.85 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be issued a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 27th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.21%. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 48.33%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on ATO shares. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded Atmos Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. StockNews.com upgraded Atmos Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Atmos Energy in a research note on Monday, March 31st. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Atmos Energy from $164.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $155.15.

Insider Activity at Atmos Energy

In related news, Director Kim R. Cocklin sold 15,000 shares of Atmos Energy stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.98, for a total value of $2,264,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 172,632 shares in the company, valued at $26,063,979.36. This trade represents a 7.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.