12 Most Profitable Dividend Stocks to Buy in 2026

9. Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO)

Net Profit Margin: 25.49%

Net Income TTM: $1.20 Billion

On January 21, Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) to $180 from $172. The firm kept an Equal Weight rating. The move came as the firm refreshed its coverage of regulated and diversified utilities and independent power producers in North America. Utilities lagged the S&P 500 in December, the analyst noted, which has shaped recent expectations for the group.

Atmos Energy operates as a regulated natural gas utility, serving roughly three million customers across eight states. The business is built around steady, government-approved returns tied to essential services that homes and businesses use every day. That predictability is a key part of the appeal.

Scale also works in the company’s favor. Its footprint gives it leverage in regulatory discussions and helps support ongoing investments in safety and system capacity. Those upgrades are not optional in this business. They are part of keeping the network reliable.

With about seventy thousand miles of transmission and distribution lines, Atmos controls an infrastructure network that would be expensive and difficult to replicate today. That physical reach acts as a barrier to entry and anchors the company’s long-term position in its service territories.

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) is a natural gas-only distributor, delivering fuel to more than 3.3 million customers across over 1,400 communities, primarily in the southern US.