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ATCO

ACO-X.TO
48
Diversified Utilities · Utilities
Price
C$74.37
-2.63 (-3.42%)
Market Cap
C$7.51B
Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange
Winston Score
48
Winston is serious
Mixed quality — meaningful strengths and weaknesses.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Mixed
Growth
Mixed
Cash Flow
Strong
Stability
Weak
Valuation
Good
Dividends
Good

Share count falling — buybacks

1.6% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 114.4M (2021) → 112.7M (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

ATCO Ltd. is a Canadian company that builds and runs essential infrastructure that people and businesses depend on every day. Its main businesses include natural gas and electricity distribution, pipelines, and modular structures — which are portable buildings used at remote work sites like mines and construction camps. The company is based in Calgary, Alberta, and operates primarily through its subsidiary Canadian Utilities, one of Canada's largest regulated utility companies.

ATCO earns most of its money from regulated utilities, meaning government agencies set the rates it can charge customers, which creates steady and predictable revenue. It operates mainly in Canada, with some international presence in Australia and other markets. Its regulated business model is a key competitive advantage because it limits competition and provides reliable cash flows. The main risk ATCO faces is the long-term decline in natural gas demand as governments and consumers shift toward cleaner energy sources, which could pressure the value of its gas distribution assets over time.

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+13.9% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Steady revenue growth

EPS Growth

+36.8% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

EPS growth accelerating

R&D Spend

C$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (1%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

27.8%ownership

Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

C$1.9B cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↑ Burn rate improving

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Growth + cash flow

ATCO is a rare growth stock that's already generating positive cash flow while growing at 14%. The Winston Score doesn't fully credit this transition from "burner" to "earner."

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
34.9%
Modest — 34.9% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
21.1%
Excellent — 21.1% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
3.7%
Weak — 3.7% return on capital

ROIC between 0% and 5%. They earn a few cents back per dollar invested in the business.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
+4.8%
Slow sales growth (+4.8% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
-58.6%
Earnings shrinking (-58.6% YoY)

Earnings per share down more than 10%. Either a bad year, or a real decline.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
5/8 quarters
Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
1119%
Turns 1119% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
7.0%
Modest free cash flow (7.0%)

FCF margin between 0% and 10%. Some cash from sales, but not a lot.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
2.70
Heavy debt load (2.70)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
1.13x
Dangerous — barely covers interest (1.1x)

Interest coverage between 1 and 3. Profits cover interest, but with little room to spare.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
45.9x
Expensive — P/E 45.9

P/E over 35. The market is pricing in heavy, sustained growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+30.1
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (45.9 → 15.8)

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
2.68%
Moderate income — 2.68% yield

Standard yield zone for stable dividend payers. A meaningful piece of total return.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+3.0%
Dividend growing modestly (3.0% YoY)

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