We recently compiled the list of 25 Best Dividend Aristocrats Stocks According to Analysts. Since Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) is part of the list, we have analyzed the stock in detail.

The age-old debate of investing in dividend growth or high-yield stocks continues to reappear within the dividend investing realm. Between these two, dividend growth is currently the favored option in the market as investors seek out strategies to grow their income over time. In this regard, investors turn to dividend aristocrats, which are the companies that have raised their payouts for 25 consecutive years or more. These stocks have delivered strong returns over the years regardless of market conditions. Between February 2005 and December 2023, dividend aristocrats delivered a 12.50% return in falling interest rate periods and an 11.5% return in rising interest rate periods, according to data by Bloomberg.

Numerous analysts have pointed out the long-term potential of dividend growth stocks, a sentiment echoed by Warren Buffett’s investment in Coca-Cola. Back in August 1994, Berkshire Hathaway completed its acquisition of 400 million shares in the company, worth $1.3 billion. Berkshire initially received a cash dividend of $75 million from Coca-Cola in 1994, the amount which surged to $704 million in 2022. This shows a remarkable growth potential of dividend-paying investments over the long term.

With investors showing a growing preference for dividend-paying stocks, major tech companies started initiating their dividend policies this year. Mark Iong, an equity fund manager at Homestead Advisers, expressed his approval of this move by tech companies in one of his recent interviews with Bloomberg. Here are some comments from the analyst:

“Dividends will be table-stakes for big tech going forward. I think if you don’t pay one, it will now be taken as a sign your business is more volatile. What’s exciting is they are doing dividends and buybacks simultaneously, while also cutting costs and growing, which is them stepping on the pedal for profits across the board.”

Not limited to the tech sector alone, companies across the broader market are showing a strong commitment to dividends this year. Though these equities lagged behind the market last year, their outlook remains strong this year. According to a recent report by S&P Dow Jones Indices, in the first quarter of 2024, companies in the index paid $151.6 billion in dividends, up from $146.8 billion paid during the same period last year. In addition, 796 companies reported dividend hikes during the quarter, amounting collectively to $22.7 billion. Howard Silverblatt, Senior Index Analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices, expects that the index will report a 6% year-over-year increase in dividend payments in 2024.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the best dividend aristocrat stocks to buy according to analysts.

Our Methodology:

For our list, we first scanned a list of the best dividend aristocrat stocks, which are the companies that have raised their dividends for 25 consecutive years or more. From this group, we picked stocks with a projected upside potential of over 10% based on analyst price targets. The stocks are ranked according to their upside potential, as of May 26. We also measured hedge fund sentiment around each stock according to Insider Monkey’s database of 920 funds as of Q1 2024. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO)

Upside Potential as of May 26: 14.20%

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) is an American utility company, based in Texas. The company is mainly engaged in the distribution of natural gas to its residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The company pays a per-share dividend of $0.805 every quarter for a dividend yield of 2.86%, as of May 26. In 2023, it stretched its dividend growth streak to 39 years, which makes ATO one of the best dividend aristocrat stocks on our list.

According to Insider Monkey’s database of Q1 2024, 22 hedge funds held stakes in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO), up from 21 in the previous quarter. The total value of these stakes is over $332.5 million. With over 1 million shares, Citadel Investment Group was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q1.

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO) demonstrates a strong financial footing, with 20 consecutive years of EPS growth. Recent reports have shown that global gas demand is set to grow in 2024 due to the expected cold winter, so the stock can also benefit from this ever-increasing need. The stock has a trailing twelve-month P/E of 17 and a forward P/E of 16.5. Israel Englander is one of the leading investors in the company in Q1, reflecting his strong interest in commodities. In 2023, the fund manager made around $600 million from commodities investments, largely due to the solid performance of natural gas and power trading. ATO’s share price is unchanged since the end of 2019 and the current high interest rate environment isn’t very helpful either. The natural gas utility company has been increasing its earnings at a healthy page and the stock’s poor performance is because of the stock’s overvaluation in the low interest rate environment. Going forward, we believe ATO can deliver double digit returns as earnings growth will be in the driver’s seat. If we see a moderate decline in interest rates next year, that may also add a few percentage points to the stock’s performance.

Overall ATO ranks 20th among the best dividend aristocrat stocks according to analysts, but it is the cheapest utility dividend aristocrat. You can visit 25 Best Dividend Aristocrats Stocks According to Analysts to see other dividend aristocrats that are on analysts’ radar. While we acknowledge the potential of dividend growth stocks, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as Microsoft but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

Read Next: Michael Burry Is Selling These Stocks and Jim Cramer is Recommending These Stocks.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.