Core Insights - Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) is positioned for sustained growth driven by increasing natural gas demand and an expanding customer base [1] - The company is focused on long-term investments to enhance the reliability of its natural gas pipelines while benefiting from industrial customer additions and favorable rate outcomes [1] Growth Outlook - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings per share (EPS) is projected to increase by 1.8% to $8.02 [2] - Fiscal 2026 revenue is estimated at $5.81 billion, indicating a year-over-year growth of 23.5% [2] - ATO's long-term earnings growth rate is forecasted at 7.98%, with an average earnings surprise of 2.6% over the last four quarters [2] Dividend History - Atmos Energy has consistently increased shareholder value through dividends, currently paying a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share, equating to an annualized dividend of $4.00 [3] - The current dividend yield stands at 2.27%, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite average of 1.07% [3] Investment Focus - ATO has a five-year capital expenditure plan totaling $26 billion for fiscal 2026-2030, with $20 billion earmarked for upgrading the distribution system and $6 billion for modernizing the transmission system [4] - This investment strategy is expected to yield annual earnings growth of 6-8% during the investment period [4] Debt Position - ATO's total debt to capital ratio is 39.89%, which is more favorable than the industry average of 47.36% [5] - The times interest earned (TIE) ratio at the end of Q4 2025 was 9.6, indicating a strong ability to meet future interest obligations [5] Stock Price Performance - Over the past year, ATO's shares have appreciated by 18.7%, surpassing the industry's growth of 9.8% [6] Additional Context - ATO's fiscal 2026 revenue estimate of $5.81 billion reflects a 23.5% year-over-year growth, with a planned $26 billion in capital spending from 2026 to 2030 for system upgrades and modernization [7]

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on following a stock's recent price trends, aiming to buy high and sell higher, with the expectation that established trends will continue [1][2]. Company Overview: Atmos Energy (ATO) - Atmos Energy currently holds a Momentum Style Score of A, indicating strong potential for momentum investing [3]. - The company has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), which is associated with a historical outperformance in the market [4]. Price Performance - Over the past week, ATO shares increased by 0.02%, while the Zacks Utility - Gas Distribution industry declined by 0.53% [6]. - In a longer timeframe, ATO shares rose by 6.37% over the past quarter and 16.05% over the last year, outperforming the S&P 500's gains of 5.68% and 14.42%, respectively [7]. Trading Volume - ATO's average 20-day trading volume is 1,295,703 shares, which serves as a bullish indicator when combined with rising stock prices [8]. Earnings Outlook - In the past two months, three earnings estimates for ATO have been revised upwards, increasing the consensus estimate from $7.88 to $8.02 [10]. - For the next fiscal year, two estimates have also moved upwards, with no downward revisions noted [10]. Conclusion - Given the positive price trends and earnings outlook, ATO is positioned as a strong momentum pick with a Momentum Score of A and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [12].

Core Viewpoint - UGI reported a quarterly loss of $0.23 per share, which was better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.44, indicating a positive earnings surprise of +47.73% [1] Financial Performance - The company posted revenues of $1.2 billion for the quarter ended September 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 30.48%, compared to $1.24 billion in revenues a year ago [2] - UGI has surpassed consensus EPS estimates for the last four quarters, but has not beaten revenue estimates during the same period [2] Stock Performance - UGI shares have increased by approximately 23.4% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 12.9% [3] Future Outlook - The company's earnings outlook will be crucial for determining the sustainability of its stock price movement, with current consensus EPS estimates at $1.32 for the coming quarter and $3.21 for the current fiscal year [4][7] - The estimate revisions trend for UGI was unfavorable prior to the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), suggesting expected underperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Utility - Gas Distribution industry, to which UGI belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 32% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges for stock performance [8]

分组1 - New Jersey Resources (NJR) reported quarterly earnings of $0.16 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.15 per share, but down from $0.89 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of +6.67% [1] - The company posted revenues of $336.08 million for the quarter ended September 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.17%, compared to year-ago revenues of $395.78 million [2] - Over the last four quarters, NJR has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times and topped consensus revenue estimates three times [2] 分组2 - The stock has underperformed the market, losing about 0.6% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 gained 12.5% [3] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is $1.03 on $522.8 million in revenues, and for the current fiscal year, it is $3.15 on $2.05 billion in revenues [7] - The Utility - Gas Distribution industry, to which NJR belongs, is currently in the bottom 26% of the Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges ahead [8]

Core Viewpoint - The comparison between Southwest Gas (SWX) and MDU Resources (MDU) indicates that SWX is currently the better option for investors seeking undervalued stocks due to its stronger earnings outlook and favorable valuation metrics [1][3][7]. Valuation Metrics - SWX has a forward P/E ratio of 21.94, while MDU has a forward P/E of 22.10, indicating that both companies are similarly valued in terms of earnings [5]. - The PEG ratio for SWX is 2.27, which is more favorable compared to MDU's PEG ratio of 3.26, suggesting that SWX has a better expected earnings growth relative to its price [5]. - SWX's P/B ratio is 1.46, compared to MDU's P/B of 1.53, further supporting the notion that SWX is relatively undervalued [6]. Zacks Rank - SWX holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), reflecting an improving earnings outlook, while MDU has a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), indicating a negative earnings revision trend [3][7]. - The Zacks Rank system emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, which currently favors SWX [2][3]. Value Grades - Based on various valuation metrics, SWX has earned a Value grade of B, while MDU has received a Value grade of D, highlighting SWX's superior valuation profile [6].

Core Insights - Spire reported a quarterly loss of $0.47 per share, slightly worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.46, but an improvement from a loss of $0.54 per share a year ago, indicating a -2.17% earnings surprise [1] - The company achieved revenues of $334.1 million for the quarter ended September 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.49% and showing a year-over-year increase from $293.8 million [2] - Spire's stock has increased by approximately 31.5% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 14.6% [3] Earnings Outlook - The future performance of Spire's stock will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and the earnings outlook, which includes current consensus earnings expectations for upcoming quarters [4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the next quarter is $1.52 on revenues of $711.61 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $5.09 on revenues of $2.52 billion [7] Industry Context - The Utility - Gas Distribution industry, to which Spire belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 35% of over 250 Zacks industries, which may impact stock performance [8] - Another company in the same industry, UGI, is expected to report a quarterly loss of $0.44 per share, reflecting a year-over-year change of -175%, with revenues projected at $1.72 billion, up 38.6% from the previous year [9][10]

New Jersey Resources (NJR) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended September 2025. 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 earnings report, which is expected to be released on November 19, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better t ...

Core Insights - Chesapeake Utilities reported quarterly earnings of $0.82 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.90 per share, but showing an increase from $0.80 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of -8.89% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $179.6 million for the quarter ended September 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.48% and up from $160.14 million year-over-year [2] - Chesapeake Utilities has surpassed consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters, although it has only exceeded EPS estimates once in the same period [2] Future Outlook - The immediate price movement of Chesapeake Utilities' stock will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and the sustainability of earnings expectations [3][4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $2.09 on revenues of $245.3 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $6.14 on revenues of $915.6 million [7] - The Zacks Rank for Chesapeake Utilities is currently 4 (Sell), indicating expectations of underperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Utility - Gas Distribution industry, to which Chesapeake Utilities belongs, is currently in the top 30% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [8] - Empirical research indicates a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can be tracked by investors [5]

Core Insights - Southwest Gas reported quarterly earnings of $0.06 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.09 per share, representing a -33.33% earnings surprise [1] - The company posted revenues of $316.91 million for the quarter ended September 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 14.52%, compared to year-ago revenues of $1.08 billion [2] - The stock has gained approximately 16.5% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 15.1% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.35 on revenues of $583.87 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $3.63 on revenues of $3.37 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Southwest Gas was favorable ahead of the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) for the stock, indicating expected outperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Utility - Gas Distribution industry is currently in the top 24% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook for stocks within this sector [8] - Another company in the same industry, UGI, is expected to report a quarterly loss of $0.44 per share, reflecting a year-over-year change of -175%, with revenues projected at $1.72 billion, up 38.6% from the previous year [9][10]

Core Insights - Sempra reported quarterly earnings of $1.11 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.93 per share, and showing an increase from $0.89 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of +19.35% [1] - The company generated revenues of $3.15 billion for the quarter ended September 2025, which was 2.2% below the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but up from $2.78 billion year-over-year [2] - Sempra's stock has increased by approximately 5.4% since the beginning of the year, underperforming compared to the S&P 500's gain of 15.1% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.28, with expected revenues of $3.71 billion, and for the current fiscal year, the EPS estimate is $4.53 on revenues of $13.73 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Sempra was mixed prior to the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market [6] Industry Context - The Utility - Gas Distribution industry, to which Sempra belongs, is currently ranked in the top 24% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [8] - Another company in the same industry, Spire, is expected to report a quarterly loss of $0.46 per share, with revenues projected at $307.96 million, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 4.8% [9][10]