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Is Atmos Energy (ATO) Stock Outpacing Its Utilities Peers This Year?
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For those looking to find strong Utilities stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Atmos Energy (ATO - Free Report) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Utilities sector should help us answer this question.
Atmos Energy is one of 111 companies in the Utilities group. The Utilities group currently sits at #16 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.
The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Atmos Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATO's full-year earnings has moved 1.2% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Our latest available data shows that ATO has returned about 1.3% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of -5.7% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, Atmos Energy is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
One other Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is NiSource (NI - Free Report) . The stock is up 2.9% year-to-date.
In NiSource's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 0.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
To break things down more, Atmos Energy belongs to the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, a group that includes 16 individual companies and currently sits at #162 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 0.3% so far this year, so ATO is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.
NiSource, however, belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry. Currently, this 62-stock industry is ranked #153. The industry has moved -7.5% so far this year.
Investors with an interest in Utilities stocks should continue to track Atmos Energy and NiSource. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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Is Atmos Energy (ATO) Stock Outpacing Its Utilities Peers This Year?
For those looking to find strong Utilities stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Atmos Energy (ATO - Free Report) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Utilities sector should help us answer this question.
Atmos Energy is one of 111 companies in the Utilities group. The Utilities group currently sits at #16 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.
The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Atmos Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATO's full-year earnings has moved 1.2% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Our latest available data shows that ATO has returned about 1.3% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of -5.7% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, Atmos Energy is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
One other Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is NiSource (NI - Free Report) . The stock is up 2.9% year-to-date.
In NiSource's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 0.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
To break things down more, Atmos Energy belongs to the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, a group that includes 16 individual companies and currently sits at #162 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 0.3% so far this year, so ATO is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.
NiSource, however, belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry. Currently, this 62-stock industry is ranked #153. The industry has moved -7.5% so far this year.
Investors with an interest in Utilities stocks should continue to track Atmos Energy and NiSource. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.