The optimism surrounding the economy’s health that was seen at the beginning of the year is fast fading. Rising inflation and slowing GDP growth have raised concerns over the future of the economy, hurting the confidence of Americans.The Conference Board said on Apr 30 that consumer confidence fell to 97 in April, declining for the third straight month to hit its lowest level since July 2022. This follows a downwardly revised 103.1 in March. Economists had predicted consumer confidence level to remain littl ...

Natural gas distribution companies offer services to transport natural gas from the region of production to millions of consumers across the United States. The utilities under the Zacks Utility Gas Distribution industry control miles of underground pipeline network to provide natural gas services to customers. The rising demand for clean, burning natural gas will create more opportunities for natural gas distribution companies.Sempra Energy (SRE) , with its widespread transmission and distribution lines, in ...

Atmos Energy (ATO) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2024. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on May 8. On t ...

Major indexes in the United States notched a sensational rally in the first three months of 2024. However, their upward trajectory came to a screeching halt in April. The S&P 500, the Nasdaq and the Dow are currently on track to post their first negative month since October.The broader S&P 500 and the tech-laden Nasdaq eked out losses for the sixth straight trading session on Apr 19, while the 30-stock Dow is on the verge of erasing its gains since the beginning of this year. Moreover, the Nasdaq logged los ...

Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Atmos Energy (ATO) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.Atmos Energy is a member of our Utilities group, which includes 106 different companies and currently sits at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Ra ...

April is generally known as favorable to equity investors. However, this year it is turning out to be different. Month to date, the three major stock indexes — the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite — have tumbled 4.6%, 2.5% and 1.2%, respectively.For the week ended Apr 12, the Dow plunged 2.4%, marking its worst week since March 2023. The S&P 500 tumbled 1.6%, reflecting its worst week since January 2024. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.5% during this time.Sticky Inflation Delays Rate Cut Exp ...

Inflation has started its climb once again this year, raising concerns over the Federal Reserve’s plans for rate cuts. The Labor Department said on Apr 10 that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) accelerated 0.4% month over month in March, higher than economists’ expectations of a rise of 0.3%. CPI rose by the same margin in February. Year-over-year CPI rose 3.5% in March, higher than the consensus estimate of a rise of 3.4%, and the highest since September. This follows a 3.2% jump in February.The jump in March ...

Atmos Energy Corporation’s (ATO) strategic investment plans should further increase the safety and reliability of its natural gas pipelines, distribution and transportation systems, and drive its performance. Given its growth opportunities, ATO makes for a solid investment option in the utility sector.Let’s focus on the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.Growth Projections & Surprise HistoryThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2024 earnings per share ...

Inflation is on the rise again this year, with concerns growing over the Federal Reserve’s timing of its first rate cut. Investors who were hopeful about the Federal Reserve starting its rate cuts as early as March, now believe it could be delayed for a longer period.The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week that the consumer price index (CPI) increased 0.4% month over month, more than January’s rise of 0.3% and the highest since September 2023.On a year-over-year basis, CPI rose 3.2% in February hi ...

Wall Street witnessed an impressive bull run in 2023, but the utility sector suffered a blow. Of the 11 broad sectors of the market’s benchmark — the S&P 500 Index — the Utility sector declined more than 11%. Investors’ preference shifted to growth stocks from defensive sectors like utility as the Fed significantly reduced the magnitude of interest rate hikes.However, the utility sector is likely to regain momentum in 2024. Last week, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell gave his testimony before the Senate after app ...