Principal Financial Group Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in Atmos Energy Corporation $ATO

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its stake in shares of Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 371,393 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 5,141 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of Atmos Energy worth $63,415,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATO. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $282,487,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Atmos Energy by 94.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 3,652,267 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $562,851,000 after buying an additional 1,778,653 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in Atmos Energy by 220.1% during the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 720,956 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $111,107,000 after buying an additional 495,712 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in shares of Atmos Energy by 23.6% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,899,283 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $292,699,000 after acquiring an additional 362,894 shares during the period. Finally, Mizuho Markets Americas LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $48,798,000. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Atmos Energy Stock Performance

Shares of ATO stock opened at $168.88 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $168.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $168.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market cap of $27.32 billion, a PE ratio of 22.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.75. Atmos Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $140.85 and a 1 year high of $180.65.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The utilities provider reported $2.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.41 by $0.03. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.07% and a net margin of 25.49%.The business had revenue of $1.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.21 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.23 earnings per share. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.150-8.350 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Atmos Energy Corporation will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ATO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. UBS Group boosted their target price on Atmos Energy from $159.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on Atmos Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Citigroup lifted their price target on Atmos Energy from $163.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Atmos Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Atmos Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $174.33.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Sean Donohue sold 450 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.15, for a total value of $77,017.50. Following the sale, the director owned 877 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $150,098.55. This represents a 33.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Atmos Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting Atmos Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat — Atmos reported diluted EPS of $2.44, above consensus estimates (Zacks $2.41; some street estimates $2.39) and up from $2.23 a year ago. This EPS beat is a key driver of the positive price action. Atmos Energy (ATO) Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and margins beat expectations — consolidated revenue was $1.34B vs. the ~$1.21B consensus, with a healthy net margin (~25.5%) and ROE (~9.1%), signaling stronger operating performance. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Positive Sentiment: Underlying business momentum — Reuters notes a 14.5% rise in Q1 profit driven by strong demand in gas distribution and pipelines, supporting the view of sustainable utility cash flow. Atmos Energy posts higher quarterly profit on strength in gas distribution, pipelines
• Positive Sentiment: Capital allocation and financial profile — management reported ~$1.0B in Q1 capex (mostly safety/reliability) and highlighted a strong financial profile, which investors view favorably for regulated utility growth and reliability of earnings. Business Wire: Earnings & Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 guidance affirmed and set — Atmos provided EPS guidance of $8.150–$8.350 for FY2026, essentially in line with the consensus midpoint (8.150). The lack of an upward revision tempers upside but gives visibility to earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings commentary and analyst notes — recent previews highlighted rate growth, customer additions and system upgrades as the primary growth drivers; these are constructive but already reflected in consensus estimates. Atmos Energy to Release Q1 Earnings: Here’s What You Need to Know

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.