Benjamin Edwards Inc. Increases Holdings in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO)

Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) by 2,212.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 291,572 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 278,961 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. owned 0.19% of Atmos Energy worth $40,446,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATO. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 0.3% in the second quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 30,179 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,520,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Atmos Energy by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,307 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $320,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 5,973 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $829,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 2,328 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $272,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 5.4% in the second quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,880 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $219,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Atmos Energy news, Director Edward Geiser acquired 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $144.89 per share, for a total transaction of $362,225.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 2,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,003.78. This trade represents a 2,450.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ATO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays boosted their target price on Atmos Energy from $129.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Atmos Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $148.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $144.00 to $150.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $147.69.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

Shares of ATO stock opened at $151.32 on Monday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $142.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $130.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.80. Atmos Energy Co. has a one year low of $110.46 and a one year high of $152.65. The company has a market capitalization of $23.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.03, a P/E/G ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.68.

Atmos Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 9th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be given a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. This is a positive change from Atmos Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.30%. Atmos Energy’s payout ratio is 50.66%.

Atmos Energy Company 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.