ATO vs. SMR: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ATO and SMR, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ATO’s market capitalization of 24.19 billion USD is substantially larger than SMR’s 10.66 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
SMR carries a higher beta at 2.02, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ATO (beta: 0.70) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | ATO | SMR |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Atmos Energy Corporation | NuScale Power Corporation |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| Industry | Regulated Gas | Renewable Utilities |
| CEO | John Kevin Akers | John Lawrence Hopkins |
| Price | 152.28 USD | 35.88 USD |
| Market Cap | 24.19 billion USD | 10.66 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.70 | 2.02 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | December 28, 1983 | March 1, 2022 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ATO and SMR 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.
SMR
-33.12%
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 23.82%
- Q3
- 7.92%
- Median
- 1.23%
- Q1
- -7.00%
- Min
- -25.19%
SMR has a negative Return on Equity of -33.12%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.
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.
SMR
-21.18%
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 7.46%
- Q3
- 3.12%
- Median
- 1.32%
- Q1
- 0.06%
- Min
- -2.29%
SMR has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -21.18%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
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.
SMR
-273.35%
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 29.15%
- Q3
- 11.19%
- Median
- 3.47%
- Q1
- -3.48%
- Min
- -6.37%
SMR has a negative Net Profit Margin of -273.35%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.
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.
SMR
-265.25%
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 67.88%
- Q3
- 52.14%
- Median
- 21.75%
- Q1
- 15.17%
- Min
- -0.74%
SMR has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -265.25%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | SMR |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 9.05% | -33.12% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 4.21% | -21.69% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 4.73% | -21.18% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.35% | -273.35% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 33.30% | -265.25% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 54.44% | 78.44% |
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.
SMR
6.23
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 1.52
- Q3
- 1.50
- Median
- 1.10
- Q1
- 0.60
- Min
- 0.22
SMR’s Current Ratio of 6.23 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Renewable Utilities industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.
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.
SMR
--
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 6.80
- Q3
- 3.61
- Median
- 1.43
- Q1
- 0.91
- Min
- 0.12
Debt-to-Equity Ratio data for SMR is currently unavailable.
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.
SMR
--
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 3.94
- Q3
- 2.59
- Median
- 1.19
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- -1.21
Interest Coverage Ratio data for SMR is currently unavailable.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | SMR |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.33 | 6.23 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.25 | 6.23 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.65 | -- |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | -- |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 3.49 | 3.83 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 8.02 | -- |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ATO and SMR. 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.
SMR
0.00%
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 5.69%
- Q3
- 3.50%
- Median
- 0.26%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SMR 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.
SMR
0.00%
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 361.70%
- Q3
- 19.22%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SMR has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | SMR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.24% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 46.20% | 0.00% |
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.
SMR
-104.38
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 544.87
- Q3
- 236.37
- Median
- 40.47
- Q1
- 30.71
- Min
- 9.33
SMR has a negative P/E Ratio of -104.38. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.
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.
SMR
7.83
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 8.78
- Q3
- 5.99
- Median
- 2.14
- Q1
- 0.33
- Min
- 0.19
A Forward PEG Ratio of 7.83 places SMR in the upper quartile for the Renewable Utilities industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
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.
SMR
483.87
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 6.47
- Q3
- 4.58
- Median
- 3.48
- Q1
- 2.45
- Min
- 0.34
With a P/S Ratio of 483.87, SMR trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Renewable Utilities industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
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.
SMR
19.88
Renewable Utilities Industry
- Max
- 16.60
- Q3
- 8.87
- Median
- 2.07
- Q1
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.36
At 19.88, SMR’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Renewable Utilities industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | SMR |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 21.32 | -104.38 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.14 | 7.83 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5.39 | 483.87 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 1.84 | 19.88 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -18.53 | -241.96 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 14.09 | -180.90 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 7.17 | 473.85 |