Atmos Energy (US:ATO) ZACKSยท2025-07-09 13:36Core Viewpoint - Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) is positioned to benefit from increasing natural gas demand, supported by a growing customer base and planned investments to enhance pipeline reliability and operational performance [1][2]. Growth Outlook & Financial Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has risen by 0.3% to $7.24 over the past 60 days [3]. - Fiscal 2025 sales are projected at $4.80 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 15.3% [3][8]. - ATO's long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 7.2%, with an average earnings surprise of 2.59% over the last four quarters [3]. Investment Returns - ATO's return on invested capital (ROIC) stands at 3.25%, outperforming the industry average of 2.62% [4][8]. - The company's total debt to capital ratio is 39.30%, which is better than the industry average of 50.49% [9]. Strategic Investments & Customer Expansion - ATO plans to invest $3.7 billion in capital expenditures for fiscal 2025 and a total of $24 billion from fiscal 2025 through 2029 to enhance infrastructure and operational capabilities [5][8]. - In the fiscal second quarter of 2025, ATO allocated approximately $225 million to expand its customer base, adding nine new industrial customers with an expected annual load of 8 billion cubic feet (Bcf) [6]. Shareholder Returns - ATO currently pays a quarterly dividend of 87 cents per share, leading to an annualized dividend of $3.48 and a dividend yield of 2.29% [7]. - The company aims to increase its dividend by 6-8% annually through fiscal 2026, pending board approval [7]. Stock Performance - Over the past six months, ATO shares have increased by 10.9%, compared to the industry's growth of 3.1% [10].