California State Teachers Retirement System Has $5.73 Billion Stock Holdings in Atmos Energy Corporation $ATO

California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) by 6,920.2% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 33,258,618 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 32,784,865 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.20% of Atmos Energy worth $5,729,462,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATO. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Atmos Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Atmos Energy during the second quarter worth $25,000. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the second quarter worth $28,000. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Atmos Energy by 627.3% in the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Atmos Energy Stock Down 0.8%

ATO stock opened at $166.69 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $172.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $177.64. The company has a market cap of $28.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.81. Atmos Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $160.10 and a fifty-two week high of $192.51.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $879.06 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $900.82 million. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 9.67% and a net margin of 28.50%.During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.16 earnings per share. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Atmos Energy Corporation will post 8.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Monday, August 24th were issued a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 24th. Atmos Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.56%.

Insider Transactions at Atmos Energy

In other Atmos Energy news, Director William Ware purchased 300 shares of Atmos Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $167.59 per share, with a total value of $50,277.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 488 shares in the company, valued at $81,783.92. This trade represents a 159.57% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.43% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ATO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Atmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Atmos Energy in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $184.00 to $183.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $193.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, August 28th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $187.73.

About Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) is a regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Through its utility operations, the company delivers natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers, with services focused on safe and reliable energy delivery.

Atmos Energy serves customers across eight states: Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Its operations include local natural gas distribution as well as pipeline transportation and storage activities, primarily through its Atmos Pipeline-Texas business.

The company traces its roots to 1906 and has expanded over time through growth and acquisitions in the natural gas industry.