ATO vs. TLN: Atmos Energy vs. Talen Energy Stock Comparison
How do Atmos Energy (ATO) and Talen Energy (TLN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Atmos Energy (ATO) and Talen Energy (TLN) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but ATO is classified in Gas Utilities while TLN is classified in Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers.
Atmos Energy (ATO) has more than two decades of public-market history since December 28, 1983, whereas Talen Energy (TLN) listed on June 2, 2023 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | ATO | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Atmos Energy Corporation | Talen Energy Corporation |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry Group | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry | Gas Utilities | Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Gas Utilities | Independent Power Producers & Energy Traders |
| Market Capitalization | 29.27 billion USD | 14.73 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | December 28, 1983 | June 2, 2023 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ATO | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 0.43% | -6.63% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 18.83% | 88.64% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 16.10% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Talen Energy (TLN) has an aggressive beta of 1.53, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Atmos Energy (ATO) is defensive at 0.55 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | ATO | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 16.06% | 58.28% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.55 | 1.53 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -19.08% | -36.72% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.03M | 1.01M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ATO | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.24 | -0.19 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.34 | -0.26 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) reports a negative ROE of -16.54%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Atmos Energy (ATO) reports 9.79%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ATO
Utilities industry group
9.79%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- ATO
- 9.79%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
TLN
Utilities industry group
-16.54%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
- TLN
- -16.54%
Net Margin (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) reports a negative net margin of -5.67%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Atmos Energy (ATO) reports 28.50%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ATO
Utilities industry group
28.50%
- Max
- 28.78%
- ATO
- 28.50%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
TLN
Utilities industry group
-5.67%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
- TLN
- -5.67%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Atmos Energy (ATO) at 37.22% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Talen Energy (TLN) at 17.35%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
ATO
Utilities industry group
37.22%
- Max
- 53.83%
- ATO
- 37.22%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
TLN
Utilities industry group
17.35%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- TLN
- 17.35%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ATO | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 9.79% | -16.54% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.89% | 0.88% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 28.50% | -5.67% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 37.22% | 17.35% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 62.21% | 42.67% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Talen Energy (TLN) at 26.68% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Atmos Energy (ATO) at 12.91% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for TLN.
EPS Growth
Atmos Energy (ATO) at 9.22% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Talen Energy (TLN) at -127.11% falls below its industry range, a notably weak earnings reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ATO | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 12.91% | 26.68% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 3.83% | 2.87% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 9.22% | -127.11% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.03% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Atmos Energy (ATO) at 0.81 and Talen Energy (TLN) at 0.89 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
ATO
Utilities industry group
0.81
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- Median
- 0.88
- ATO
- 0.81
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
TLN
Utilities industry group
0.89
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- TLN
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Atmos Energy (ATO) at 0.68 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Talen Energy (TLN) at 5.97 is above its industry debt-to-equity ratio range.
ATO
Utilities industry group
0.68
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- ATO
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.00
TLN
Utilities industry group
5.97
- TLN
- 5.97
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ATO | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.81 | 0.89 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.68 | 5.97 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.74 | 13.69 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Atmos Energy (ATO) reports a yield of 2.21%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ATO
Utilities industry group
2.21%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- ATO
- 2.21%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
TLN
Utilities industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- TLN
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Atmos Energy (ATO) reports a payout of 46.13%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ATO
Utilities industry group
46.13%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- Median
- 56.38%
- ATO
- 46.13%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
TLN
Utilities industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- TLN
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ATO | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.21% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 46.13% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Atmos Energy (ATO) trades at 20.65 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Talen Energy (TLN) has no P/E ratio this period.
ATO
Utilities industry group
20.65
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- ATO
- 20.65
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
TLN
Utilities industry group
--
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
- TLN
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) at 3.29 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Atmos Energy (ATO) at 5.95 sits in the pricier quartile — ATO costs more per dollar of sales.
ATO
Utilities industry group
5.95
- Max
- 6.35
- ATO
- 5.95
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
TLN
Utilities industry group
3.29
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- TLN
- 3.29
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Atmos Energy (ATO) at 1.92 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Talen Energy (TLN) at 10.14 prices above its benchmark range — TLN looks rich relative to book.
ATO
Utilities industry group
1.92
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- ATO
- 1.92
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
TLN
Utilities industry group
10.14
- TLN
- 10.14
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ATO | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 20.65 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.95 | 3.29 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.92 | 10.14 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -7.59% | 6.39% |