Tributary Capital Management LLC Has $286,000 Stock Position in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO)

Tributary Capital Management LLC cut its position in Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,055 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 100 shares during the quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $286,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ATO. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 11.0% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,665 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $650,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its holdings in Atmos Energy by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 198,675 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,669,000 after buying an additional 15,362 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional increased its position in Atmos Energy by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. CX Institutional now owns 11,394 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,587,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 6.0% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,348 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $606,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $233,000. Institutional investors own 90.17% of the company’s stock.

Atmos Energy Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE ATO opened at $139.55 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $142.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $136.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.94. Atmos Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $110.46 and a 52-week high of $152.65. The stock has a market cap of $21.69 billion, a PE ratio of 20.31, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.71.

Atmos Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 9th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were given a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was 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 2.49%. Atmos Energy’s payout ratio is 50.66%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ATO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $129.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. Argus upgraded Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Atmos Energy in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $156.00 price objective for the company. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Atmos Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $148.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Atmos Energy news, Director Edward Geiser purchased 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $144.89 per share, with a total value of $362,225.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $377,003.78. This trade represents a 2,450.98 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

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.