Why Atmos Energy (ATO) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term

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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.

Achieving those goals is made easier with the Zacks Style Scores, a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on popular investing methodologies, namely value, growth, and momentum. The Style Scores can help you narrow down which stocks are better for your portfolio and which ones can beat the market over the long-term.

Why This 1 Growth Stock Should Be On Your Watchlist

Growth investors build their portfolios around companies that are financially strong and have a bright future, and the Growth Style Score helps take projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.

Atmos Energy (ATO)

Founded in 1906, Atmos Energy Corporation, along with its subsidiaries, is engaged in regulated natural gas distribution and storage business. The company serves nearly 3.4 million customers in more than 1,400 communities in eight states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. The company operates more than 72,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines as well as 5,700 miles of interstate pipelines. Atmos Energy’s   pipelines are connected to 37 different pipelines across eight states, thereby providing supplier diversity.

ATO boasts a Growth Style Score of B and VGM Score of B, and holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) rating. Its bottom-line is projected to rise 8% year-over-year for 2023, while Wall Street anticipates its top line to improve by 18.2%.

Three analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2023. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.02 to $6.05 per share. ATO boasts an average earnings surprise of 2.4%.

On a historic basis, Atmos Energy has generated cash flow growth of 13.2%, and is expected to report cash flow expansion of 14% this year.

ATO should be on investors' short lists because of its impressive growth fundamentals, a good Zacks Rank, and strong Growth and VGM Style Scores.

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