Atmos Energy price target lowered to $143 from $145 at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley analyst David Arcaro lowered the firm’s price target on Atmos Energy (ATO) to $143 from $145 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. Utilities underperformed the S&P’s -0.91% return in October, leading the firm to adjust the price targets of several stocks in its North America Regulated & Diversified Utilities / IPPs coverage, the analyst tells investors. From recent meetings at the EEI Financial Conference, the firm came away incrementally negative on California, given its increased regulatory and political risk as well as its relatively limited data center growth.