Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Atmos Energy (ATO) 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? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.Atmos Energy is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 106 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #13. The Zacks Sector Ran ...

Expectations of multiple interest rate cuts in 2024 had faded long back and now the Federal Reserve has almost assured that it isn’t going to happen anymore.On Jun 12, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in the post-FOMC meeting statement that the central bank sees the possibility of only a single rate cut this year, sharply down from three rate cuts hinted earlier this year.This came as the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged in its June FOMC meeting in its current range of 5.25-5.5%.Alth ...

Given the current scenario, investors should gauge the changing market dynamics and accordingly chalk out a sturdy investment strategy. Well, you can decide to buy or sell a particular stock by looking at its sales and earnings numbers. However, such a strategy does not always warrant superior returns when the market faces a myriad of issues. A critical analysis of the company’s financial background is always required for a better investment decision.Indeed, a company should be sound enough to meet its fina ...

It’s no secret that we all love to get paid. And when you think about it, dividend stock payments are essentially investors’ versions of paydays within the stock market.Dividends provide a passive income stream, limit the impact of drawdowns in other positions, provide more than one way to profit from an investment, and provide the ability to reap maximum returns through dividend reinvestment.There are several parameters investors can follow to aid them in constructing an income-generating portfolio. Let’s ...

文章核心观点 - 自阿特莫斯能源公司上次财报发布约一个月，其股价下跌3.5%跑输标普500指数，近期负面趋势待观察，公司Q2财报表现有优有劣且上调盈利和资本支出指引，预计未来几个月股票回报高于平均水平 [1][10] 财务表现 - 2024财年第二季度每股收益2.85美元，超扎克斯共识预期8.8%，同比增长14.9% [2] - 总收入16.5亿美元，低于扎克斯共识预期7.5%，但同比增长7.1% [3] - 运营和维护费用1.999亿美元，同比增长2.7%；营业收入5.51亿美元，同比增长30.4%；利息费用5540万美元，同比增长48.1% [5] - 截至2024年3月31日，可用流动性约42亿美元，现金及现金等价物2.625亿美元，高于2023年9月30日的1540万美元 [6] - 2024财年前六个月经营活动提供的净现金流为9.9亿美元，上年同期为28.9亿美元 [6] 细分业务收入 - 2024财年第二季度分销业务收入15.9亿美元，同比增长6% [4] - 管道和存储业务收入2.23亿美元，同比增长21.2% [4] 运营数据 - 本季度综合分销吞吐量为1.762亿立方英尺，同比增长9.4% [5] 公司指引 - 上调2024财年盈利指引至每股6.70 - 6.80美元，高于此前的6.45 - 6.65美元 [7] - 上调2024财年资本支出指引至31亿美元，高于此前预期的29亿美元 [8] 估值与评级 - 过去一个月，投资者见证了公司估值上调趋势 [9] - 目前公司成长评分为A，动量评分为B，价值评分为C，综合VGM评分为A [9] - 公司扎克斯排名为2（买入），预计未来几个月股票回报高于平均水平 [10]

文章核心观点 - 2023年美国股市整体呈现牛市行情,但公用事业板块却遭受重挫,下跌超过11% [1] - 2024年美国股市延续牛市行情,但公用事业板块成为今年涨幅第二大的板块,涨幅达12.8% [2][3] - 公用事业板块的上涨主要得益于市场预期美联储今年将至少降息25个基点,这将为资本密集型的公用事业公司提供资金支持 [4] 公用事业行业特点 - 公用事业行业属于防御性行业,需求相对稳定,不易受经济周期波动影响 [5][6] - 公用事业公司收益和现金流稳定,能够持续派发股息,更吸引收益型投资者 [7][8] - 公用事业公司业务受监管,收入水平较为确定,且国内化经营避免了汇率风险 [8] - 公用事业公司通常提供较高的股息收益,在市场波动中更具吸引力 [9] 重点公司分析 Atmos Energy Corp. (ATO) - 受益于客户群扩大,持续投资管线提升安全性和可靠性,业绩表现良好 [11][12] - 预计2024年收入和利润分别增长10.1%和9.2%,目前股息收益率为2.8% [13] CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP) - 持续大规模投资于基础设施升级和运营可靠性提升,预计未来10年基础设施投资达445亿美元 [15] - 预计2024年收入和利润分别增长1%和8%,目前股息收益率为2.6% [16] Vistra Corp. (VST) - 作为综合性零售电力和发电公司,业务涵盖多个州域,具有较强的规模优势 [17][18] - 预计2024年收入和利润分别增长20.8%和5.9%,目前股息收益率为1% [18][19] DTE Energy Co. (DTE) - 持续大规模投资于基础设施升级和可再生能源项目,提升运营可靠性和减碳目标 [20][21] - 预计2024年收入和利润分别增长1.7%和16.9%,目前股息收益率为3.5% [22] Evergy Inc. (EVRG) - 通过合作、收购等方式不断拓展输电业务,同时大力发展可再生能源项目 [23] - 预计2024年收入和利润分别增长2.8%和8.5%,目前股息收益率为4.7% [23][24]

Most of the major U.S. stock indices ended the month of May on a high note, reflecting investors’ optimism after inflation data offered some relief.  Inflation in the United States, as measured by the change in the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index, came in at 2.7% on a yearly basis in April, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis on May 31. This was in line with the market expectations.In such a situation, we recommend stocks like Vital Farms (VITL) , Trip.com Group Limited ( ...

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores a ...

Atmos Energy (ATO) has been beaten down lately with too much selling pressure. While the stock has lost 6.2% over the past four weeks, there is light at the end of the tunnel as it is now in oversold territory and Wall Street analysts expect the company to report better earnings than they predicted earlier.How to Determine if a Stock is OversoldWe use Relative Strength Index (RSI), one of the most commonly used technical indicators, for spotting whether a stock is oversold. This is a momentum oscillator tha ...

Growth stocks are attractive to many investors, as above-average financial growth helps these stocks easily grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock.In addition to volatility, these stocks carry above-average risk by their very nature. Also, one could end up losing from a stock whose growth story is actually over or nearing its end.However, the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the trad ...