New York State Common Retirement Fund Lowers Holdings in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO)

New York State Common Retirement Fund trimmed its position in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 365,284 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 5,634 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned about 0.24% of Atmos Energy worth $50,873,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 1,542.9% in the third 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 stake in 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 acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. PFS Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Atmos Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Atmos Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $79,000. Finally, Slocum Gordon & Co LLP purchased a new stake in Atmos Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $125,000. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Atmos Energy Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:ATO opened at $148.71 on Thursday. Atmos Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $110.97 and a 52-week high of $152.65. The stock has a market cap of $23.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.72. The business’s 50 day moving average is $141.62 and its 200 day moving average is $139.48. 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 (NYSE:ATO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $0.03. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 8.89% and a net margin of 25.90%. Sell-side analysts predict that Atmos Energy Co. will post 7.18 EPS for the current year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be paid a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 25th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.34%. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ATO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America initiated coverage on Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $156.00 price objective on the stock. Argus upgraded Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Atmos Energy from $145.00 to $143.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. StockNews.com downgraded Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Atmos Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $148.75.

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.