Atmos Energy Corporation vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? Atmos Energy Corporation trades at $168.76 (market cap $28.59B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $150 (market cap $39.50B). The key difference: Yum! Brands, Inc. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Atmos Energy Corporation pays the higher dividend (2.36%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ATO | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $28.59B | $39.50B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $192.25 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $162.44 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $38.40B | $51.10B |
Dividend Yield | 2.36% | 2.07% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Atmos Energy (ATO) trades at $169.58, up 0.99% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but oversold RSI readings. The company reported strong Q3 2026 earnings of $1.43 per share, beating estimates, and reaffirmed fiscal 2026 guidance. Revenue grew to $4.7 billion in 2025, with a net income margin of 28.5%, while the balance sheet shows $25.19 billion in total assets and manageable leverage.
The outlook is supported by consistent dividend payments and analyst consensus pointing to upside with a $190.57 price target. Key risks include high capital expenditure trends and interest rate sensitivity, but the utility's defensive profile and earnings momentum provide a stable investment case for income-focused shareholders.
YUM trades at $150.15, up 3.32% in the past 24 hours, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. Recent earnings show a Q2 2026 beat with EPS of $1.62 versus $1.57 expected, while revenue grew to $8.21B in 2025. The company completed the sale of Pizza Hut China for $1.2B in August 2026, aiming to streamline operations and reduce debt. Cash flow from operations improved to $2.01B in 2025, supporting a dividend payment of $0.75 per share.
The outlook is mixed, with analyst consensus leaning hold (56.87%) but a price target of $174.60 implying 16% upside. Risks include ongoing legal investigations and a parasite outbreak impacting Taco Bell sales, though management reports recovery. Debt remains high at $11.25B long-term, but the debt-to-asset ratio improved to 143.49 in 2025. Execution on digital growth and brand focus post-Pizza Hut sale are key to unlocking value.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.
Read more on YUM →