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ATO vs. CNP: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

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Here’s a clear look at ATO and CNP, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

ATO’s market capitalization stands at 24.19 billion USD, while CNP’s is 23.46 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.

With betas of 0.70 for ATO and 0.58 for CNP, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

SymbolATOCNP
Company NameAtmos Energy CorporationCenterPoint Energy, Inc.
CountryUSUS
SectorUtilitiesUtilities
IndustryRegulated GasGeneral Utilities
CEOJohn Kevin AkersJason P. Wells CPA
Price152.28 USD35.94 USD
Market Cap24.19 billion USD23.46 billion USD
Beta0.700.58
ExchangeNYSENYSE
IPO DateDecember 28, 1983January 2, 1970
ADRNoNo

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ATO and CNP by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

ATO vs. CNP: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

ATO

9.05%

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
11.45%
Q3
11.45%
Median
9.01%
Q1
7.53%
Min
6.41%

ATO’s Return on Equity of 9.05% is on par with the norm for the Regulated Gas industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

CNP

9.09%

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a Return on Equity of 9.09%, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities industry are currently unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

ATO

4.73%

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
8.99%
Q3
5.97%
Median
4.43%
Q1
0.25%
Min
0.00%

ATO’s Return on Invested Capital of 4.73% is in line with the norm for the Regulated Gas industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

CNP

4.01%

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a Return on Invested Capital of 4.01%, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities sector are currently unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

ATO

25.35%

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
25.35%
Q3
14.67%
Median
8.48%
Q1
4.66%
Min
-6.69%

A Net Profit Margin of 25.35% places ATO in the upper quartile for the Regulated Gas industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

CNP

10.80%

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a Net Profit Margin of 10.80%, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities sector are currently unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

ATO

33.30%

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
45.15%
Q3
28.16%
Median
19.42%
Q1
14.26%
Min
3.90%

An Operating Profit Margin of 33.30% places ATO in the upper quartile for the Regulated Gas industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

CNP

22.62%

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has an Operating Profit Margin of 22.62%, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities industry are currently unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

SymbolATOCNP
Return on Equity (TTM)9.05%9.09%
Return on Assets (TTM)4.21%2.17%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)4.73%4.01%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)25.35%10.80%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)33.30%22.62%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)54.44%44.94%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

ATO

1.33

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
1.57
Q3
1.15
Median
1.00
Q1
0.69
Min
0.38

ATO’s Current Ratio of 1.33 is in the upper quartile for the Regulated Gas industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.

CNP

0.93

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a Current Ratio of 0.93, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities sector are currently unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

ATO

0.65

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
1.67
Q3
1.53
Median
1.38
Q1
0.83
Min
0.02

Falling into the lower quartile for the Regulated Gas industry, ATO’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.65 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

CNP

2.03

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.03, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities sector are currently unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

ATO

8.02

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
4.65
Q3
3.07
Median
2.65
Q1
1.77
Min
1.22

With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.02, ATO demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Regulated Gas industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.

CNP

3.19

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has an Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.19, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities sector are currently unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

SymbolATOCNP
Current Ratio (TTM)1.330.93
Quick Ratio (TTM)1.250.79
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)0.652.03
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)0.320.50
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)3.495.97
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)8.023.19

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ATO and CNP. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

ATO

2.24%

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
6.99%
Q3
4.15%
Median
4.00%
Q1
2.73%
Min
0.00%

ATO’s Dividend Yield of 2.24% is in the lower quartile for the Regulated Gas industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.

CNP

2.37%

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a Dividend Yield of 2.37%, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities sector are currently unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

ATO

46.20%

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
87.89%
Q3
74.00%
Median
60.41%
Q1
45.73%
Min
0.00%

ATO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 46.20% is within the typical range for the Regulated Gas industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

CNP

55.80%

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 55.80%, but industry benchmark data for the General Utilities sector is unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

SymbolATOCNP
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.24%2.37%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)46.20%55.80%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

ATO

21.32

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
23.74
Q3
22.05
Median
16.86
Q1
15.06
Min
10.79

ATO’s P/E Ratio of 21.32 is within the middle range for the Regulated Gas industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

CNP

24.26

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a P/E Ratio of 24.26, but a direct industry comparison is not possible as benchmark data for the General Utilities sector is unavailable.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

ATO

3.14

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
3.70
Q3
3.36
Median
3.17
Q1
2.55
Min
2.21

ATO’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.14 is within the middle range of its peers in the Regulated Gas industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.

CNP

3.06

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a Forward PEG Ratio of 3.06, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities sector are unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

ATO

5.39

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
3.36
Q3
2.16
Median
1.35
Q1
1.06
Min
0.32

With a P/S Ratio of 5.39, ATO trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Regulated Gas industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

CNP

2.62

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a P/S Ratio of 2.62, but a direct comparison is not possible as benchmarks for the General Utilities sector are unavailable.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

ATO

1.84

Regulated Gas Industry

Max
2.11
Q3
1.88
Median
1.55
Q1
1.24
Min
1.10

ATO’s P/B Ratio of 1.84 is within the conventional range for the Regulated Gas industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

CNP

2.14

General Utilities Industry

Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--

CNP has a P/B Ratio of 2.14, but industry benchmarks for the General Utilities industry are currently unavailable for comparison.

ATO vs. CNP: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Regulated Gas and General Utilities industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

SymbolATOCNP
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)21.3224.26
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)3.143.06
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)5.392.62
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)1.842.14
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)-18.53-8.70
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)14.0912.65
EV-to-Sales (TTM)7.174.96