Volatility has returned to Wall Street as discouraging economic data released over the past month has raised concerns over a delay in rate cuts. Stocks took a hit on Apr 25 after data showed that the U.S. economy grew at a modest pace of 1.6% in the first quarter, the slowest in almost two years.Also, GDP growth was a lot lower than the 2.2% consensus estimate and 3.4% recorded in the final quarter of 2023. Consumer spending has been slowing lately, decelerating economic growth. Besides, a large number of b ...

Major indexes in the United States notched a sensational rally in the first three months of 2024. However, their upward trajectory came to a screeching halt in April. The S&P 500, the Nasdaq and the Dow are currently on track to post their first negative month since October.The broader S&P 500 and the tech-laden Nasdaq eked out losses for the sixth straight trading session on Apr 19, while the 30-stock Dow is on the verge of erasing its gains since the beginning of this year. Moreover, the Nasdaq logged los ...

Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Atmos Energy (ATO) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.Atmos Energy is a member of our Utilities group, which includes 106 different companies and currently sits at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Ra ...

April is generally known as favorable to equity investors. However, this year it is turning out to be different. Month to date, the three major stock indexes — the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite — have tumbled 4.6%, 2.5% and 1.2%, respectively.For the week ended Apr 12, the Dow plunged 2.4%, marking its worst week since March 2023. The S&P 500 tumbled 1.6%, reflecting its worst week since January 2024. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.5% during this time.Sticky Inflation Delays Rate Cut Exp ...

Inflation has started its climb once again this year, raising concerns over the Federal Reserve’s plans for rate cuts. The Labor Department said on Apr 10 that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) accelerated 0.4% month over month in March, higher than economists’ expectations of a rise of 0.3%. CPI rose by the same margin in February. Year-over-year CPI rose 3.5% in March, higher than the consensus estimate of a rise of 3.4%, and the highest since September. This follows a 3.2% jump in February.The jump in March ...

Atmos Energy Corporation’s (ATO) strategic investment plans should further increase the safety and reliability of its natural gas pipelines, distribution and transportation systems, and drive its performance. Given its growth opportunities, ATO makes for a solid investment option in the utility sector.Let’s focus on the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.Growth Projections & Surprise HistoryThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2024 earnings per share ...

Inflation is on the rise again this year, with concerns growing over the Federal Reserve’s timing of its first rate cut. Investors who were hopeful about the Federal Reserve starting its rate cuts as early as March, now believe it could be delayed for a longer period.The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week that the consumer price index (CPI) increased 0.4% month over month, more than January’s rise of 0.3% and the highest since September 2023.On a year-over-year basis, CPI rose 3.2% in February hi ...

Wall Street witnessed an impressive bull run in 2023, but the utility sector suffered a blow. Of the 11 broad sectors of the market’s benchmark — the S&P 500 Index — the Utility sector declined more than 11%. Investors’ preference shifted to growth stocks from defensive sectors like utility as the Fed significantly reduced the magnitude of interest rate hikes.However, the utility sector is likely to regain momentum in 2024. Last week, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell gave his testimony before the Senate after app ...

Inflation rose for the second consecutive month in February, raising concerns of a rate cut anytime soon. The Labor Department reported on Mar 12 that the consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.4% in February. Although the jump came in line with the economists’ expectations, it was higher than January’s jump of 0.3%.Also, this was the biggest jump since September 2023, following which inflation declined steadily, encouraging the Federal Reserve to halt interest rate hikes.Year over year, CPI rose 3.2% in Februar ...

Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Atmos Energy (ATO) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Utilities sector should help us answer this question.Atmos Energy is a member of our Utilities group, which includes 104 different companies and currently sits at #10 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, ...