ATO
Atmos Energy Corporation Utilities - Utilities - Regulated Gas Investor Relations →
Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) closed at $171.38 as of 2026-02-02, trading 37.0% above its 200-week moving average of $125.09. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 33.3% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 51, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 2149 weeks of data, ATO has crossed below its 200-week moving average 20 times. On average, these episodes lasted 8 weeks. Historically, investors who bought ATO at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +17.3%.
With a market cap of $28.4 billion, ATO is a large-cap stock. Free cash flow yield is currently negative, meaning the company is burning cash. Return on equity stands at 9.2%. The stock trades at 2.0x book value.
ATO is a Dividend Aristocrat, having increased its dividend for 25 or more consecutive years. The current yield is 233.00%. Share count has increased 14.7% over three years, indicating dilution.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in ATO would have grown to $3864, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 11.6% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming ATO as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been declining. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Growth of $100: ATO vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After ATO Crosses Below the Line?
Across 17 historical episodes, buying ATO when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +11.1% after 12 months (median +11.0%), compared to -0.4% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 88% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +28.4% vs +12.9% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment ATO crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
ATO has crossed below its 200-week MA 20 times with an average 1-year return of +17.3% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1987 | Nov 1987 | 2 | 3.4% | +36.0% | +8975.1% |
| Nov 1987 | Jan 1988 | 5 | 7.1% | +34.4% | +9353.3% |
| Jun 1989 | Jul 1989 | 2 | 2.3% | +18.6% | +7462.6% |
| Sep 1999 | Oct 2000 | 57 | 36.1% | -8.2% | +1792.6% |
| Mar 2001 | Apr 2001 | 5 | 3.8% | +14.2% | +1791.0% |
| Jul 2001 | Aug 2001 | 4 | 9.7% | -1.0% | +1826.6% |
| Aug 2001 | Oct 2001 | 5 | 5.1% | +4.7% | +1774.5% |
| Oct 2001 | Dec 2001 | 11 | 8.7% | +3.5% | +1761.5% |
| Jan 2002 | Feb 2002 | 4 | 2.6% | +12.8% | +1806.0% |
| Jul 2002 | Aug 2002 | 3 | 3.1% | +29.3% | +1845.5% |
| Mar 2008 | Apr 2008 | 4 | 2.6% | -3.5% | +1076.1% |
| Jul 2008 | Jul 2008 | 2 | 1.7% | +6.7% | +1049.3% |
| Oct 2008 | Apr 2009 | 29 | 18.3% | +44.1% | +1268.5% |
| May 2009 | Jun 2009 | 4 | 5.3% | +22.4% | +1067.0% |
| Jul 2009 | Jul 2009 | 1 | 1.1% | +20.9% | +1027.1% |
| Mar 2020 | Mar 2020 | 1 | 1.3% | +11.9% | +129.6% |
| Jan 2021 | Mar 2021 | 10 | 7.9% | +21.1% | +117.8% |
| Sep 2021 | Nov 2021 | 8 | 5.8% | +30.1% | +104.7% |
| Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | 2 | 1.0% | +30.9% | +104.1% |
| Oct 2022 | Oct 2022 | 1 | 0.3% | +17.1% | +89.4% |
| Average | 8 | — | +17.3% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02