Some major U.S. stocks closed slightly lower on May 16, after starting the day at a record high level, as investors’ enthusiasm around interest rate cut expectations and a slowdown in inflation data dissipated during the course of the day.    In such a situation, we recommend stocks like Vital Farms (VITL) , Pathward Financial (CASH) , Atmos Energy (ATO) , Sprouts Farmer Market (SFM) and Hamilton Insurance Group (HG) , which bear low leverage. Choosing them can shield investors from incurring huge losses in ...

An ill-informed investor can lose cash if he wagers on a stock only on the basis of the numbers flashing on a real-time stock screen. A critical analysis of a company’s financial background is a must for a better investment decision, especially at a time when the stock market is juggling myriad issues.Often, investors evaluate a company’s performance by simply looking at its sales and earnings, which sometimes do not reveal the real picture. To be more precise, they do not tell whether a company’s fundament ...

Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. But finding a growth stock that can live up to its true potential can be a tough task.That's because, these stocks usually carry above-average risk and volatility. In fact, betting on a stock for which the growth story is actually over or nearing its end could lead to significant loss.However, the task of finding cutting-edge growth ...

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Sc ...

The sentiment of American consumers on the economy has plunged in May. On May 10, the University of Michigan reported that the preliminary index of consumer sentiment tumbled to a reading of 67.4%. The consensus estimate was 76%. The final reading of April was also revised downward to 77.2% from 77.9%, as reported earlier.May’s preliminary reading marks a 12.7% decline in month over month. The primary reason for this decline was a sharp increase in consumers’ expectations for the inflation rate.The outlook ...

It’s been almost a month since big banks kicked off the Q1 earnings season which has seen modest growth with JPMorgan (JPM)  and Wells Fargo (WFC)  contributing in this regard. Outside of JPMorgan and Wells Fargo making headlines, tech stocks have largely upheld the earnings growth for the period thanks to the Magnificent Seven in particular.  That said, several stocks from a variety of sectors are starting to stand out after posting strong EPS growth for the quarter and beating earnings expectations on Wed ...

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) Q2 2024 Earnings Conference Call May 9, 2024 10:00 AM ET Company Participants Dan Meziere - VP-IR and Treasurer Kevin Akers - President and CEO Chris Forsythe - SVP and CFO Conference Call Participants Richard Sunderland - JPMorgan Christopher Jeffrey - Mizuho Operator Thank you for standing by. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Atmos Energy Corporation Fiscal 2024 Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Thank you. I would now ...

For the quarter ended March 2024, Atmos Energy (ATO) reported revenue of $1.65 billion, up 6.9% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.85, compared to $2.48 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue represents a surprise of -7.49% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.78 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.62, the EPS surprise was +8.78%.While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expect ...

Atmos Energy (ATO) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.85 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.62 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.48 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 8.78%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this natural gas utility would post earnings of $2.09 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.08, delivering a surprise of -0.48%.Over the last four quarters, the c ...

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 10-Q (Mark One) ☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2024 or ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File Number 1-10042 | --- | --- | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------- ...