ATO vs. KEP: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ATO and KEP, 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 KEP’s is 17.17 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
With betas of 0.70 for ATO and 0.63 for KEP, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
KEP is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. ATO, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.
| Symbol | ATO | KEP |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Atmos Energy Corporation | Korea Electric Power Corporation |
| Country | US | KR |
| Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| Industry | Regulated Gas | Regulated Electric |
| CEO | John Kevin Akers | Dong-Cheol Kim |
| Price | 152.28 USD | 13.37 USD |
| Market Cap | 24.19 billion USD | 17.17 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.70 | 0.63 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | December 28, 1983 | October 27, 1994 |
| ADR | No | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ATO and KEP 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.
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.
KEP
13.53%
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 18.07%
- Q3
- 12.49%
- Median
- 10.00%
- Q1
- 8.48%
- Min
- 5.02%
In the upper quartile for the Regulated Electric industry, KEP’s Return on Equity of 13.53% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
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.
KEP
3.70%
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 5.26%
- Q3
- 4.57%
- Median
- 3.97%
- Q1
- 3.33%
- Min
- 1.92%
KEP’s Return on Invested Capital of 3.70% is in line with the norm for the Regulated Electric industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
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.
KEP
5.63%
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 22.24%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 13.10%
- Q1
- 11.03%
- Min
- 3.79%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Regulated Electric industry, KEP’s Net Profit Margin of 5.63% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
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.
KEP
11.50%
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 31.57%
- Q3
- 25.65%
- Median
- 21.93%
- Q1
- 17.87%
- Min
- 8.99%
KEP’s Operating Profit Margin of 11.50% is in the lower quartile for the Regulated Electric industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | KEP |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 9.05% | 13.53% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 4.21% | 2.12% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 4.73% | 3.70% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.35% | 5.63% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 33.30% | 11.50% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 54.44% | 14.95% |
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.
KEP
0.47
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 1.48
- Q3
- 1.06
- Median
- 0.86
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.28
KEP’s Current Ratio of 0.47 falls into the lower quartile for the Regulated Electric industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
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.
KEP
0.52
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 2.38
- Q3
- 1.97
- Median
- 1.65
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- 0.27
Falling into the lower quartile for the Regulated Electric industry, KEP’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.52 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
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.
KEP
2.33
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 3.07
- Q3
- 2.63
- Median
- 2.41
- Q1
- 2.30
- Min
- 1.87
KEP’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.33 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Regulated Electric industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | KEP |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.33 | 0.47 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.25 | 0.32 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.65 | 0.52 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 0.09 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 3.49 | 1.07 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 8.02 | 2.33 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ATO and KEP. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
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.
KEP
0.00%
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 6.60%
- Q3
- 4.03%
- Median
- 3.30%
- Q1
- 3.06%
- Min
- 0.00%
KEP currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
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.
KEP
0.82%
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 123.06%
- Q3
- 69.07%
- Median
- 62.27%
- Q1
- 52.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
KEP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 0.82% is in the lower quartile for the Regulated Electric industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | KEP |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.24% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 46.20% | 0.82% |
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.
KEP
4.46
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 26.46
- Q3
- 21.71
- Median
- 19.07
- Q1
- 17.74
- Min
- 12.74
KEP’s P/E Ratio of 4.46 is below the typical range for the Regulated Electric industry. This may indicate that the stock is potentially undervalued, or it could reflect market concerns about the company’s future prospects.
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.
KEP
1.00
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 4.21
- Q3
- 3.10
- Median
- 2.78
- Q1
- 2.34
- Min
- 1.46
KEP’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.00 is below the typical range for the Regulated Electric industry. This is a strong indicator that the stock may be undervalued, as its price appears low given its future growth prospects.
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.
KEP
0.25
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 3.88
- Q3
- 3.19
- Median
- 2.68
- Q1
- 1.96
- Min
- 0.27
KEP’s P/S Ratio of 0.25 falls below the typical floor for the Regulated Electric industry. This could suggest the stock is overlooked or deeply undervalued relative to its sales, but may also reflect significant market concerns about its future.
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.
KEP
0.56
Regulated Electric Industry
- Max
- 2.95
- Q3
- 2.37
- Median
- 1.89
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.55
KEP’s P/B Ratio of 0.56 is in the lower quartile for the Regulated Electric industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | KEP |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 21.32 | 4.46 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.14 | 1.00 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5.39 | 0.25 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 1.84 | 0.56 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -18.53 | 11.09 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 14.09 | 2.36 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 7.17 | 0.46 |