Is ATO or XEL cheaper?

On trailing earnings, ATO is cheaper: ATO trades at a 20.91 P/E and XEL at 22.63.

Which has grown faster, ATO or XEL?

Over the past five years, ATO grew revenue faster — ATO at a 8.80% CAGR versus XEL at 3.82%.

Does ATO or XEL pay a bigger dividend?

ATO yields 2.28% and XEL yields 2.19% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ATO or XEL more profitable?

ATO runs the higher net margin — ATO at 27.58% versus XEL at 14.14%.

Which has been the better investment, ATO or XEL?

Over the past 10-year, ATO delivered the higher annualized total return — ATO at 10.97% versus XEL at 9.68%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) vs Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL)

ATO leads on 13 of 16 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Atmos Energy Corporation and Xcel Energy Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

ATO

Atmos Energy Corporation

Total return — ATO vs XEL

growth of $100 · last 30y

ATO +590.1%XEL +243.5%ATO compounded faster

ATO XEL

ATO vs XEL: by the numbers

•XEL is the larger company ($49.45B vs $28.37B market cap).
•ATO trades at the lower earnings multiple (20.91 vs 22.63 P/E).
•ATO converts more revenue to profit (27.58% vs 14.14% net margin).
•ATO grew revenue faster over the past five years (8.80% vs 3.82% CAGR).
•ATO pays the higher dividend yield (2.28% vs 2.19%).

Which is better, ATO or XEL?

Metric tally: ATO 13 · XEL 3

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueATO(lower P/E)

GrowthATO(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeATO(higher dividend yield)

QualityATO(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	ATO	XEL
P/E ratio	20.91●	22.63
Forward P/E	18.97	17.45●
P/S ratio	5.84	3.35●
P/B ratio	1.91●	2.08
PEG ratio	2.18●	5.39
EV / EBITDA	14.73	14.00●

Profitability

Metric	ATO	XEL
Gross margin	51.43%●	18.91%
Operating margin	35.87%●	19.85%
Net margin	27.58%●	14.14%
ROE	9.03%●	8.78%
ROIC	4.58%●	3.77%

Dividends

Metric	ATO	XEL
Dividend yield	2.28%●	2.19%
Payout ratio	51.33%	50.36%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ATO	XEL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	8.80%●	3.82%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	9.05%●	4.20%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	19.32%●	-15.80%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	13.57%●	5.94%

Frequently asked

Which is better, ATO or XEL?: It depends on your goal. value: ATO (lower P/E); growth: ATO (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: ATO (higher dividend yield); quality: ATO (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, ATO leads 13 to 3.
Is ATO or XEL cheaper?: On trailing earnings, ATO is cheaper: ATO trades at a 20.91 P/E and XEL at 22.63.
Which has grown faster, ATO or XEL?: Over the past five years, ATO grew revenue faster — ATO at a 8.80% CAGR versus XEL at 3.82%.
Does ATO or XEL pay a bigger dividend?: ATO yields 2.28% and XEL yields 2.19% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ATO or XEL more profitable?: ATO runs the higher net margin — ATO at 27.58% versus XEL at 14.14%.
Which has been the better investment, ATO or XEL?: Over the past 10-year, ATO delivered the higher annualized total return — ATO at 10.97% versus XEL at 9.68%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ATO analysis Full XEL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Atmos Energy P/E ratio Xcel Energy P/E ratio Atmos Energy dividend yield Xcel Energy dividend yield Atmos Energy ROE Xcel Energy ROE Atmos Energy operating margin Xcel Energy operating margin Atmos Energy revenue growth Xcel Energy revenue growth Atmos Energy free cash flow Xcel Energy free cash flow

Atmos Energy & Xcel Energy appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats Highest Operating Margin Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 14, 2026.