Why Atmos Energy Stock Deserves a Spot in Your Portfolio Right Now

Atmos Energy Corporation ATO is well-positioned to gain from growing natural gas demand, supported by a steadily expanding customer base. The company’s planned investments aim to enhance the reliability of its natural gas pipelines and support stronger operational performance. Given its strong growth, ATO makes for a solid investment option in the Zacks Utility Gas Distribution industry.Let us focus on the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.ATO’s Growth Outlook & Surprise HistoryThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has increased 0.3% to $7.24 in the past 60 days.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 sales is pegged at $4.80 billion, implying a year-over-year increase of 15.3%.The company’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 7.2%. ATO surpassed expectations in the last four reported quarters and delivered an average earnings surprise of 2.59%.ATO Returns Better Than IndustryAtmos Energy’s return on invested capital (ROIC) has outperformed the industry average in the trailing 12 months. Currently, ATO’s ROIC is 3.25% compared with the industry average of 2.62%. The ROIC evaluates a company's ability to earn returns on its investments.ATO’s Strategic Spending & Customer ExpansionAtmos Energy maintains a solid capital expenditure strategy aimed at enhancing the safety and reliability of its natural gas pipeline system. ATO projects $3.7 billion in capital spending for fiscal 2025 and intends to invest $24 billion from fiscal 2025 through 2029 to reinforce its infrastructure and operational capabilities.In the fiscal second quarter of 2025, ATO allocated close to $225 million to expand its customer base. During the same period, it added nine new industrial customers with an anticipated annual load of 8 billion cubic feet (Bcf) once they are fully operational.In the fiscal year-to-date period, ATO has gained 20 new industrial customers, which is expected to increase the annual load by 11 Bcf once fully operational. On a volumetric basis, this equates to adding roughly 204,000 residential customers.ATO’s Return to ShareholdersATO has been increasing shareholder value via regular dividend payments. Currently, the company’s quarterly dividend is 87 cents per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $3.48. The company’s current dividend yield is 2.29%, better than the Zacks S&P 500 Composite’s 1.19%.Atmos Energy aims to increase its dividend by 6-8% per year through fiscal 2026, subject to approval by the board of directors.Overview of ATO’s Debt StructureCurrently, ATO’s total debt to capital is 39.30%, better than the industry’s average of 50.49%.The time-to-interest earned ratio at the end of the fiscal second quarter of 2025 was 8.5. The ratio, being greater than one, reflects the company’s ability to meet future interest obligations without difficulties.ATO Stock Price PerformanceIn the past six months, ATO shares have risen 10.9% compared with the industry’s growth of 3.1%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchOther Stocks to ConsiderA few other top-ranked stocks from the same industry are UGI Corporation UGI, which sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and ONE Gas, Inc. OGS and Northwest Natural Holding Company NWN, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.UGI’s long-term earnings growth rate is 5.2%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pegged at $3.13, which indicates a year-over-year improvement of 2.3%.  OGS’ long-term earnings growth rate is 5.6%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pegged at $4.29, which calls for a year-over-year improvement of 9.7%.NWN delivered an average earnings surprise of 15.05% in the past four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pegged at $2.88, which suggests a year-over-year rise of 23.6%.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the coming year. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +112%, +171%, +209% and +232%.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO): Free Stock Analysis Report Northwest Natural Gas Company (NWN): Free Stock Analysis Report UGI Corporation (UGI): Free Stock Analysis Report ONE Gas, Inc. (OGS): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks