Atmos Energy Corporation vs Crown Castle International Corp — how do they compare? Atmos Energy Corporation trades at $168.76 (market cap $28.38B), while Crown Castle International Corp trades at $73.79 (market cap $31.32B). The key difference: Atmos Energy Corporation and Crown Castle International Corp are close in size by market cap, and Crown Castle International Corp pays the higher dividend (5.77%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ATO | CCI | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $28.38B | $31.32B |
Sector | Utilities | Real Estate |
52-Week High | $192.25 | $103.79 |
52-Week Low | $162.44 | $73.61 |
Enterprise Value | $38.18B | $53.68B |
Dividend Yield | 2.38% | 5.77% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Atmos Energy (ATO) trades at $170.19, down 1.04% today, with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $1.43, beating expectations by 5.9%, and maintains strong fundamentals with 28.5% net income margin and $4.70B revenue. Recent board appointments and dividend declarations highlight corporate stability, while analyst consensus targets $190.57 with 45% buy ratings.
ATO presents a mixed outlook with solid earnings growth and dividend stability offset by bearish technical indicators and negative cash flow trends. The stock offers value through consistent profitability and infrastructure investments, though investors face risks from high capital expenditures and debt levels that could pressure future returns.
Crown Castle (CCI) trades at $75.59, up 0.89% on the day, but technical indicators signal a bearish trend with the stock near recent lows. The company reported mixed quarterly earnings, beating in Q2 2026 but missing in Q1, while revenue has declined from $7.0B in 2023 to $4.26B in 2025. Analyst consensus is split evenly between Buy and Hold with a $95.29 price target, suggesting potential upside. Recent news highlights strategic shifts, including the sale of its fiber business and a focus on U.S. tower operations.
The outlook for CCI hinges on execution of its pure-play tower strategy amid high debt levels and competitive pressures. Investment appeal lies in its 5.5% dividend yield and discounted valuation, but risks include declining revenue, negative shareholder equity, and sensitivity to interest rates. Wall Street sees value if operational improvements materialize.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Atmos Energy is the largest publicly traded, fully regulated, pure-play natural gas utility in the United States, serving more than 3 million customers in Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. About two thirds of its earnings come from Texas, where it distributes natural gas in northern Texas and owns an intrastate gas pipeline spanning several key shale gas formations and interconnected with five storage facilities.
Read more on ATO →Crown Castle International owns and leases roughly 40,000 cell towers in the United States. It also owns more than 85,000 route miles of fiber. It leases space on its towers to wireless service providers, which install equipment on the towers to support their wireless networks. The company's fiber is primarily leased by wireless service providers to set up small-cell network infrastructure and by enterprises for their internal connection needs. Crown Castle's towers and fiber are predominantly located in the largest U.S. cities. The company has a very concentrated customer base, with more than 70% of its revenue coming from the big three U.S. mobile carriers. Crown Castle operates as a real estate investment trust.
Read more on CCI →