Atmos Energy stock trades at USD 157.21 after target cuts

Published on 09/28/2026 at 13:48 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Morgan Stanley cut its target from USD 190.00 to USD 179.00 on September 18, 2026. Atmos Energy stock reported Q3 EPS of USD 1.43 and reaffirmed fiscal guidance.

Fotorealistische Erdgas-Pipeline-Baustelle in Texas bei Sonnenuntergang — Atmos Energy Corp. verlegt neue Erdgas-Pipelines in Texas bei goldenem Abendlicht, ISIN US0495601058, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Atmos Energy stock (ISIN US0495601058) closed at USD 157.21 on the NYSE on September 25, 2026, up 0.51 percent from the prior close. The latest catalyst is a lower analyst valuation after the regulated gas utility delivered a quarterly earnings beat but missed revenue expectations.

Target cut follows mixed quarter

According to MarketBeat on September 18, 2026, Morgan Stanley reduced its Atmos Energy price target from USD 190.00 to USD 179.00 and maintained an Equal Weight rating. JPMorgan also held a neutral view with a USD 180.00 target, down from USD 198.00, in a September 11, 2026 research report cited by MarketBeat.

The valuation reset contrasts with a solid earnings result. Atmos Energy reported fiscal Q3 2026 diluted EPS of USD 1.43, above the USD 1.35 consensus estimate, while the prior-year quarter produced USD 1.16 per share, according to The Globe and Mail in its fiscal Q3 2026 earnings-call transcript.

Guidance remains unchanged

Revenue for the quarter was USD 879.06 million, below the USD 900.82 million consensus estimate, according to MarketBeat. The result still came with fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of USD 8.40-8.50, while first-nine-month fiscal 2026 diluted EPS reached USD 7.33, up 14.50 percent from the comparable prior-year period.

Management also expects fiscal 2026 capital expenditures of USD 4.20 billion, with spending directed toward distribution, transmission and storage infrastructure. That investment profile supports the company's regulated utility model, but the earnings path remains sensitive to the gap between capital spending and the timing of regulatory recovery.

Stock remains below yearly peak

Atmos Energy's September 25, 2026 session ranged from USD 155.39 to USD 157.50 on volume of 1,040,400 shares. Its 52-week range was USD 155.00 to USD 192.51, placing the close USD 35.30 below the yearly high and USD 2.21 above the yearly low.

The company had a market capitalization of USD 26.2 billion as of September 25, 2026. For investors, the contrast is clear: quarterly EPS exceeded consensus by USD 0.08, but the stock still trades below its yearly high while analyst targets have moved lower.