ATO vs. LNT: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ATO and LNT, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | ATO | LNT |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Atmos Energy Corporation | Alliant Energy Corporation |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry | Gas Utilities | Electric Utilities |
| Market Capitalization | 26.69 billion USD | 16.91 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NasdaqGS |
| Listing Date | December 28, 1983 | February 21, 1973 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ATO and LNT 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | LNT |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | -0.32% | -0.47% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 6.24% | 5.70% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 10.91% | 4.76% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 27.70% | 13.02% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 6.63% | 1.22% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 19.37% | 11.26% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.87M | 2.23M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.98M | 2.02M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 15.59% | 15.43% |
| Beta | 0.74 | 0.55 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
ATO
9.00%
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 18.18%
- Q3
- 12.37%
- Median
- 9.24%
- Q1
- 6.51%
- Min
- 1.38%
ATO’s Return on Equity of 9.00% is on par with the norm for the Gas Utilities industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
LNT
11.80%
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 23.82%
- Q3
- 14.31%
- Median
- 10.58%
- Q1
- 7.57%
- Min
- 1.03%
LNT’s Return on Equity of 11.80% is on par with the norm for the Electric Utilities industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
ATO
25.04%
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 14.23%
- Q3
- 10.38%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 3.98%
- Min
- 1.91%
ATO’s Net Profit Margin of 25.04% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Gas Utilities industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.
LNT
20.78%
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 29.46%
- Q3
- 17.23%
- Median
- 11.43%
- Q1
- 7.33%
- Min
- -2.53%
A Net Profit Margin of 20.78% places LNT in the upper quartile for the Electric Utilities industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
ATO
33.00%
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 48.27%
- Q3
- 23.40%
- Median
- 8.99%
- Q1
- 6.80%
- Min
- -2.18%
An Operating Profit Margin of 33.00% places ATO in the upper quartile for the Gas Utilities industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
LNT
25.32%
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 46.44%
- Q3
- 26.51%
- Median
- 19.26%
- Q1
- 11.77%
- Min
- 2.81%
LNT’s Operating Profit Margin of 25.32% is around the midpoint for the Electric Utilities industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | LNT |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 9.00% | 11.80% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 4.35% | 3.61% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.04% | 20.78% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 33.00% | 25.32% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 48.14% | 39.32% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
ATO
1.37
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 2.54
- Q3
- 1.53
- Median
- 0.95
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.43
ATO’s Current Ratio of 1.37 aligns with the median group of the Gas Utilities industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
LNT
0.57
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 1.81
- Q3
- 1.22
- Median
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.34
LNT’s Current Ratio of 0.57 falls into the lower quartile for the Electric Utilities 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 (MRQ)
ATO
0.67
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 2.17
- Q3
- 1.39
- Median
- 1.01
- Q1
- 0.58
- Min
- 0.13
ATO’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.67 is typical for the Gas Utilities industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
LNT
1.58
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 3.40
- Q3
- 1.83
- Median
- 1.32
- Q1
- 0.64
- Min
- 0.00
LNT’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.58 is typical for the Electric Utilities industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
ATO
8.53
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 14.35
- Q3
- 11.25
- Median
- 8.09
- Q1
- 3.86
- Min
- 1.26
ATO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.53 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Gas Utilities industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
LNT
2.84
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 18.68
- Q3
- 10.64
- Median
- 3.32
- Q1
- 2.62
- Min
- -3.31
LNT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.84 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Electric Utilities industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | LNT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.37 | 0.57 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.25 | 0.46 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.67 | 1.58 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 8.53 | 2.84 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
ATO
2.02%
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 11.34%
- Q3
- 6.37%
- Median
- 3.90%
- Q1
- 1.99%
- Min
- 0.00%
ATO’s Dividend Yield of 2.02% is consistent with its peers in the Gas Utilities industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
LNT
2.97%
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 7.00%
- Q3
- 4.67%
- Median
- 3.84%
- Q1
- 2.48%
- Min
- 0.00%
LNT’s Dividend Yield of 2.97% is consistent with its peers in the Electric Utilities industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
ATO
46.51%
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 200.45%
- Q3
- 112.45%
- Median
- 75.14%
- Q1
- 45.50%
- Min
- 18.85%
ATO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 46.51% is within the typical range for the Gas Utilities industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
LNT
60.94%
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 150.16%
- Q3
- 88.91%
- Median
- 65.69%
- Q1
- 34.65%
- Min
- 0.00%
LNT’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 60.94% is within the typical range for the Electric Utilities industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | LNT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.02% | 2.97% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 46.51% | 60.94% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
ATO
23.01
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 25.10
- Q3
- 19.98
- Median
- 12.83
- Q1
- 10.31
- Min
- 7.43
A P/E Ratio of 23.01 places ATO in the upper quartile for the Gas Utilities industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
LNT
20.49
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 39.85
- Q3
- 21.79
- Median
- 15.62
- Q1
- 8.97
- Min
- 3.03
LNT’s P/E Ratio of 20.49 is within the middle range for the Electric Utilities industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
ATO
5.76
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 5.56
- Q3
- 2.60
- Median
- 1.11
- Q1
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.33
With a P/S Ratio of 5.76, ATO trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Gas Utilities industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
LNT
4.26
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.09
- Median
- 1.93
- Q1
- 1.14
- Min
- 0.15
LNT’s P/S Ratio of 4.26 is in the upper echelon for the Electric Utilities industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
ATO
1.83
Gas Utilities Industry
- Max
- 3.37
- Q3
- 1.96
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.36
ATO’s P/B Ratio of 1.83 is within the conventional range for the Gas Utilities 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.
LNT
2.17
Electric Utilities Industry
- Max
- 2.99
- Q3
- 1.99
- Median
- 1.46
- Q1
- 1.11
- Min
- 0.18
LNT’s P/B Ratio of 2.17 is in the upper tier for the Electric Utilities industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | LNT |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 23.01 | 20.49 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 5.76 | 4.26 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 1.83 | 2.17 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 319.91 | 119.35 |