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Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO)

Utilities Out of favourS&P 500

Atmos Energy is a major American utility company that manages the pipes and infrastructure to deliver natural gas to millions of homes and businesses.

$163.19

Is Atmos Energy Corporation a good stock for a UK beginner?

The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Provides an essential service that people need regardless of the economy. Worth weighing: Growth is often capped by government regulators.

No rating · no target price · nothing for sale here
Price+26.9%
= past earnings-report date
Priced in USD. As a UK investor your £ return also moves with the pound-to-dollar exchange rate, even inside an ISA - a stronger pound can trim your £ gains and a weaker pound can add to them, whatever the share price itself does.
52-week range+10% past year
$163.19
Low $160.10High $192.51
Where today's price sits versus its past year - context, not a signal.

Is this normal for this company?

Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.

Price to earnings
20.0now
21.723.4

Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.

Net profit margin
27.6%now
22.2%30.0%

Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.

How these ranges are built

Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.

What does Atmos Energy Corporation do?

Atmos Energy acts as the middleman for natural gas, maintaining the vast network of pipelines required to keep the lights on and the heating running for customers across several US states. They make their money through regulated fees charged for this delivery service, which tends to provide a steady, predictable income regardless of the wider economy. Their ongoing investment in upgrading infrastructure is worth following closely, since that is how they justify their rates to regulators and grow the business over time.

On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and income, and weakest on momentum.

Quick checks
What's strong
What to watch
  • Momentum screens low

Does Atmos Energy Corporation pay a dividend?

Yes - Atmos Energy Corporation currently pays a dividend of about 2.4% a year, which is £24 a year for every £1,000 invested (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it. An ISA doesn't shelter the US tax on this one →

What do the numbers say about Atmos Energy Corporation's dividend?

There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.

Dividend yield2.4%£24 a year for every £1,000 invested. The yearly dividend as a percentage of today's price. A very high figure often means the price has fallen because the market expects a cut, so a big yield is a question to look into, not a prize.
Payout ratio46%about 46 in every 100 pounds of profit. The share of profit paid out as dividends. A lower figure leaves headroom; near or above 100% means most or all of the profit is going out as dividends.
Dividend cover2.2×Profit divided by the dividend (the payout ratio the other way up). As a rough convention many income investors like around 2× or more; below 1× means the company paid out more than it earned that year.

Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.

Most recent ex-dividend date: 26 May 2026. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →

Does Atmos Energy Corporation have more cash or more debt?

It holds about $520.95M in cash against about $10.32B of debt - so it has net debt of about $9.80B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.

From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.

What do Atmos Energy Corporation's numbers mean?

P/E
20.14
This shows how much you are paying for every pound of the company's annual profit; a higher number suggests investors are willing to pay more for future growth.
Around the middle of the 40 Utilities shares we cover
Dividend yield
2.4%
This is the annual cash payout to shareholders as a percentage of the share price, acting as a regular income stream.
Lower than most of the 42 Utilities shares we cover
Beta
0.6
This measures how much the share price jumps around compared to the wider market; a number below 1 suggests it is generally less volatile than the average stock.
Net margin
28.5%
This represents the percentage of revenue that actually turns into profit after all expenses are paid, showing how efficiently the company operates.
Higher than most of the 42 Utilities shares we cover

How has it performed?

Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
If you had put $1,000 into Atmos Energy Corporation
$1,269+27%

Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.

How much has Atmos Energy Corporation actually fallen?

−15%

Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Atmos Energy Corporation fell as much as −15% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.

Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.

How has it done year by year?

2022+10%
2023+6%
2024+23%
2025+23%
2026 so far+2%

Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.

A closer look at the numbers

Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'.
$28.59B
Avg volume: How many shares change hands on a typical day. Higher means it's easy to buy or exit without moving the price.
1.43M
Day range: The lowest and highest price the shares traded at during the latest day.
$163.04 – $165.87
52-week range: The lowest and highest the shares have traded over the past year - a sense of how wide the swings have been.
$160.10 – $192.51
P/E ratio: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth.
20.1
Dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone.
2.4%
Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down.
0.60

Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?

One share costs$163.19
Number of shares175 million
So the whole company is worth$28.59bn
A £5 share is not cheaper than a £500 one - it means the company cut itself into more slices. Whether the total looks high or low is what the figures below are for; we don't give a verdict.

Who owns Atmos Energy Corporation?

Big institutions 97%Public & smaller investors 2%

About 97% of Atmos Energy Corporation, or about 97 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds. The rest, roughly 2%, is held by the public and smaller investors.

What this does and doesn't tell you

This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.

How bumpy is it?Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. 0.60
Calm
Wild
Steadier than most

Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.

Why has it been moving?▼ -3% past week · ▲ +10% past year

Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.

How much money does Atmos Energy Corporation make?

Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.

RevenueNet income
$0$490.60M$981.20M$1.47B$1.96BQ2 25Q3 25Q4 25Q1 26Q2 26
Gross margin
62.2%
Net margin
28.5%
Return on equity
9.8%

Where does each £100 of Atmos Energy Corporation's sales go?

Making the product or service £38Running costs, tax and interest £34Left as profit £28

A rough split of the latest full-year figures: of every £100 of sales, about £38 covers making the product or service, £34 goes on running costs, tax and interest, and about £28 is left as profit. Margins vary a lot by industry, and one-off items can distort a single year.

When does Atmos Energy Corporation report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?

Atmos Energy Corporation is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-04 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.

‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.

Atmos Energy Corporation: reported versus expected earnings per share, recent quarters
ReportedExpected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number.Actual EPSvs expected
2026-05-06$3.41$3.47Beat +2%
2026-02-03$2.44$2.44In line
2025-11-06$1.00$1.07Beat +7%
2025-08-06$1.15$1.16Beat +1%
2025-05-07$2.88$3.03Beat +5%
2025-02-04$2.21$2.23In line

Across the last 6 quarters here, Atmos Energy Corporation came in ahead of what analysts expected 4 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.

See who else reports over the next two weeks →

Where these figures come from

Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.

What are the scenarios for Atmos Energy Corporation?

An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.

◀ lowerhigher ▶todayBull▲ UpsideBase• In-lineBear▼ Downside
Bull
+5% to +8%colder winter weather increases demand for gas heating
Base
-2% to +2%steady, predictable utility usage patterns continue
Bear
-5% to -8%unusually mild weather leads to lower customer consumption

What are the pros, cons and common questions?

The case each way, and the questions people ask
The bull case

successful transition to renewable gas or hydrogen infrastructure

The bear case

long-term shift away from natural gas due to environmental policies

What are the pros and cons of Atmos Energy Corporation?

4bull points
6bear points

A balance check, not a score or verdict.

The bull case4
  • Provides an essential service that people need regardless of the economy
  • Strong profit margins compared to many other utility providers
  • Lower volatility than the broader stock market
  • Consistent history of paying dividends to shareholders
The catch3
  • Growth is often capped by government regulators
  • Requires massive, ongoing spending to maintain and replace old pipes
  • Revenue growth: How fast the company's sales grew versus a year ago. has been quite slow recently
Key risks3
  • Strict government regulation can limit how much profit they are allowed to make
  • Long-term environmental policies may discourage the use of natural gas
  • Rising interest rates make borrowing money for infrastructure more expensive
What would flip the thesis

The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.

  • A major shift in government policy that bans natural gas in new buildings
  • A significant, sustained drop in the number of customers using their network

Common questions about Atmos Energy Corporation

Does Atmos Energy Corporation pay a dividend?

Yes - Atmos Energy Corporation currently pays a dividend of about 2.4% a year. Dividends are a share of profit paid to holders; the yield moves with the price and payouts can be cut.

When does Atmos Energy Corporation report earnings next?

Atmos Energy Corporation is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-11-04. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.

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Confidence: medium · data: USD · flags: none · Charts by TradingView Lightweight Charts™
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Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →

This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.

Prices as of 11 Sep 2026; other figures as of 11 Aug 2026. Prices may be delayed and numbers can go stale - always double-check before acting.