ATMOS ENERGY CORP (ATO)

ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

INTRODUCTION

This section provides management’s discussion of the financial condition, changes in financial condition, and results of operations of Atmos Energy Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries with specific information on results of operations and liquidity and capital resources. It includes management’s interpretation of our financial results, the factors affecting these results, the major factors expected to affect future operating results, and future investment and financing plans. This discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

Several factors exist that could influence our future financial performance, some of which are described in Item 1A above, “Risk Factors”. They should be considered in connection with evaluating forward-looking statements contained in this report or otherwise made by or on behalf of us since these factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those set out in such forward-looking statements.

Cautionary Statement for the Purposes of the Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

The statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Report are forward-looking statements made in good faith by us and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this Report, or any other of our documents or oral presentations, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “goal”, “intend”, “objective”, “plan”, “projection”, “seek”, “strategy”, or similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements relating to our strategy, operations, markets, services, rates, recovery of costs, availability of gas supply, and other factors. These risks and uncertainties include the following: federal, state, and local regulatory and political trends and decisions, including the impact of rate proceedings before various state regulatory commissions; increased federal regulatory oversight and potential penalties; possible increased federal, state, and local regulation of the safety of our operations; possible significant costs and liabilities resulting from pipeline integrity and other similar programs and related repairs; the inherent hazards and risks involved in distributing, transporting, and storing natural gas; the availability and accessibility of contracted gas supplies, interstate pipeline, and/or storage services; increased competition from energy suppliers and alternative forms of energy; failure to attract and retain a qualified workforce; natural disasters, adverse weather, terrorist activities, or other events and other risks and uncertainties discussed herein, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control; failure of technology that affects the Company's business operations; the threat of cyber-attacks or acts of cyber-terrorism that could disrupt our business operations and information technology systems or result in the loss or exposure of confidential or sensitive customer, employee, or Company

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information; the impact of new cybersecurity compliance requirements; adverse weather conditions; the impact of legislation to reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions or fossil fuels; the impact of climate change; the capital-intensive nature of our business; our ability to continue to access the credit and capital markets to execute our business strategy; market risks beyond our control affecting our risk management activities, including commodity price volatility, counterparty performance or creditworthiness, and interest rate risk; the concentration of our operations in Texas; the impact of adverse economic conditions on our customers; changes in the availability and price of natural gas; and increased costs of providing health care benefits, along with pension and postretirement health care benefits and increased funding requirements. Accordingly, while we believe these forward-looking statements to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will approximate actual experience or that the expectations derived from them will be realized. Further, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of our forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Our consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses and the related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from estimates.

Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements. The accounting policies discussed below are both important to the presentation of our financial condition and results of operations and require management to make difficult, subjective, or complex accounting estimates. Accordingly, these critical accounting policies are reviewed periodically by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

Atmos Energy's vision is to be the safest provider of natural gas services. Our commitment to this vision requires significant levels of capital spending to modernize our natural gas distribution system and operating costs to deliver natural gas safely and reliably and in full compliance with the various safety regulations impacting our business. We have the ability to begin recovering a significant portion of our expenditures timely through rate designs and mechanisms that reduce or eliminate regulatory lag and separate the recovery of our approved rate from customer usage patterns. The execution of our capital spending program, the ability to recover these expenditures timely and our ability to access the capital markets to satisfy our financing needs are the primary drivers that affect our financial performance.

The following table details our consolidated net income by segment during the last three fiscal years:

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During fiscal 2024, we recorded net income of $1,042.9 million, or $6.83 per diluted share, compared to net income of $885.9 million, or $6.10 per diluted share in the prior year. The year-over-year increase in net income of $157.0 million largely reflects positive rate outcomes driven by safety and reliability spending. Additionally, our fiscal 2024 results were favorably impacted by $21.1 million as a result of legislation that became effective during the first quarter of fiscal 2024 to reduce property tax expenses in Texas and $13.9 million as a result of a change to our bad debt recovery mechanism in Mississippi. These increases were partially offset by increased employee-related costs, depreciation expense, and interest expense.

During the year ended September 30, 2024, we implemented ratemaking regulatory actions which resulted in an increase in annual operating income of $376.3 million. Excluding the impact of the refund of excess deferred income taxes resulting from previously enacted tax reform legislation, our total fiscal 2024 rate outcomes were $307.1 million. Additionally, we had ratemaking efforts in progress at September 30, 2024, seeking a total increase in annual operating income of $218.0 million.

During fiscal year 2024, we refunded $133.6 million in excess deferred tax liabilities to customers. These refunds also reduced our income tax expense, resulting in an immaterial impact to our fiscal 2024 and 2023 results.

Capital expenditures for fiscal 2024 were $2.9 billion. Approximately 83 percent was invested to improve the safety and reliability of our distribution and transportation systems, with a significant portion of this investment incurred under regulatory mechanisms that reduce regulatory lag to six months or less.

During fiscal 2024, we completed approximately $2.0 billion of long-term debt and equity financing. As of September 30, 2024, our equity capitalization was 61.0 percent. As of September 30, 2024, we had approximately $4.8 billion in total liquidity, consisting of $307.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, $1,380.6 million in funds available through equity forward sales agreements, and $3,094.4 million in undrawn capacity under our credit facilities.

Distribution Segment

The distribution segment is comprised of our regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states. The primary factors that impact the results of our distribution operations are our ability to earn our authorized rates of return, competitive factors in the energy industry, and economic conditions in our service areas.

Our ability to earn our authorized rates is based primarily on our ability to improve the rate design in our various ratemaking jurisdictions to minimize regulatory lag and, ultimately, separate the recovery of our approved rates from customer usage patterns. Improving rate design is a long-term process and is further complicated by the fact that we operate in multiple rate jurisdictions. The “Ratemaking Activity” section of this Form 10-K describes our current rate strategy, progress towards implementing that strategy, and recent ratemaking initiatives in more detail. During fiscal 2024, we completed regulatory proceedings in our distribution segment resulting in a $266.8 million increase in annual operating income. Excluding the impact of the refund of excess deferred income taxes resulting from previously enacted tax reform legislation, our total fiscal 2024 annualized rate outcomes in our distribution segment were $234.5 million.

Our distribution operations are also affected by the cost of natural gas. We are generally able to pass the cost of gas through to our customers without markup under purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms; therefore, increases in the cost of gas are offset by a corresponding increase in revenues. Revenues in our Texas and Mississippi service areas include franchise fees and gross receipts taxes, which are calculated as a percentage of revenue (inclusive of gas costs). Therefore, the amount of these taxes included in revenues is influenced by the cost of gas and the level of gas sales volumes. We record the associated tax expense as a component of taxes, other than income.

The cost of gas typically does not have a direct impact on our operating income because these costs are recovered through our purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms. However, higher gas costs may adversely impact our accounts receivable collections, resulting in higher bad debt expense. This risk is currently mitigated by rate design that allows us to collect from our customers the gas cost portion of our bad debt expense on approximately 89 percent of our residential and commercial revenues. Additionally, higher gas costs may require us to increase borrowings under our credit facilities, resulting in higher interest expense. Finally, higher gas costs, as well as competitive factors in the industry and general economic conditions may cause customers to conserve or, in the case of industrial consumers, to use alternative energy sources.

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Review of Financial and Operating Results

Financial and operational highlights for our distribution segment for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024, 2023, and 2022 are presented below.

Fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2023

Operating income for our distribution segment increased 23.4 percent. Key drivers for the change in operating income include:

•a $219.2 million increase in rate adjustments, primarily in our Mid-Tex Division.

•a $24.8 million increase related to residential customer growth, primarily in our Mid-Tex Division, and increased industrial load.

•a $10.6 million decrease in bad debt expense, as discussed in Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements.

Partially offset by:

•a $50.0 million increase in depreciation expense associated with increased capital investments.

•a $19.9 million increase in employee-related costs primarily due to an increase in headcount to support company growth.

•a $2.7 million increase in property taxes, which is inclusive of a $15.7 million decrease related to the Texas property tax legislation discussed above.

•a $26.9 million increase in other operation and maintenance expense, including higher costs associated with software maintenance, compliance activities, training, and other administrative costs.

Interest charges increased $39.9 million primarily due to the issuance of long-term debt during fiscal 2024. The increase in interest charges is also due to the amortization of the Texas regulatory asset that is discussed in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements. However, this increase is offset by a corresponding increase in revenue resulting in no impact to net income.

The fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 for our distribution segment is described in Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.

The following table shows our operating income by distribution division, in order of total rate base, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024, 2023, and 2022. The presentation of our distribution operating income is included for financial reporting purposes and may not be appropriate for ratemaking purposes.

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Pipeline and Storage Segment

Our pipeline and storage segment consists of the pipeline and storage operations of our Atmos Pipeline–Texas Division (APT) and our natural gas transmission operations in Louisiana. APT is one of the largest intrastate pipeline operations in Texas with a heavy concentration in the established natural gas producing areas of central, northern, and eastern Texas, extending into or near the major producing areas of the Barnett Shale, the Texas Gulf Coast, and the Permian Basin of West Texas. APT provides transportation and storage services to our Mid-Tex Division, other third-party local distribution companies, industrial, and electric generation customers, as well as marketers and producers. Over 80 percent of this segment's revenues are derived from these APT services. These revenues are subject to traditional ratemaking governed by the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC). As part of its pipeline operations, APT owns and operates five underground storage facilities in Texas.

Our natural gas transmission operations in Louisiana are comprised of a 21-mile pipeline located in the New Orleans, Louisiana area that is primarily used to aggregate gas supply for our distribution division in Louisiana under a long-term contract and, on a more limited basis, to third parties. The demand fee charged to our Louisiana distribution division for these services is subject to regulatory approval by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. We also manage two asset management plans, which have been approved by applicable state regulatory commissions. Generally, these asset management plans require us to share with our distribution customers a significant portion of the cost savings earned from these arrangements.

Our pipeline and storage segment is impacted by seasonal weather patterns, competitive factors in the energy industry, and economic conditions in our Texas and Louisiana service areas. Natural gas prices do not directly impact the results of this segment as revenues are derived from the transportation and storage of natural gas. However, natural gas prices and demand for natural gas could influence the level of drilling activity in the supply areas that we serve, which may influence the level of throughput we may be able to transport on our pipelines. Further, natural gas price differences between the various hubs that we serve in Texas could influence the volumes of gas transported for shippers through our Texas pipeline system and rates for such transportation.

The results of APT are also significantly impacted by the natural gas requirements of its local distribution company customers. Additionally, its operations may be impacted by the timing of when costs and expenses are incurred and when these costs and expenses are recovered through its tariffs.

APT annually uses GRIP to recover capital costs incurred in the prior calendar year. On February 27, 2024, APT made a GRIP filing that covered changes in net property, plant and equipment investment from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 with a requested increase in operating income of $82.4 million. On May 14, 2024, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) approved the Company's GRIP filing.

Additionally, GRIP requires a utility to file a statement of intent at least once every five years to review its costs and expenses, including capital costs filed for recovery under GRIP. On May 19, 2023, APT filed its statement of intent seeking $107.4 million in additional annual operating income. On December 13, 2023, the RRC approved the settlement agreement between APT and the intervening parties for an increase in annual operating income of $27.0 million, exclusive of the impact of the cessation of $36.9 million in excess deferred income tax refunds, which are substantially offset by a corresponding increase in income taxes. New rates were implemented effective December 13, 2023.

The demand fee our Louisiana natural gas transmission pipeline charges to our Louisiana distribution division increases five percent annually and has been approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission until September 30, 2027.

Review of Financial and Operating Results

Financial and operational highlights for our pipeline and storage segment for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024, 2023, and 2022 are presented below.

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Fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2023

Operating income for our pipeline and storage segment increased 33.8 percent. Key drivers for the change in operating income include:

•a $68.4 million increase due to rate adjustments from the GRIP filings approved in May 2023 and 2024, and the rate case approved in December 2023.

•a $39.0 million net increase in APT's through-system activities primarily associated with increased spreads.

•a $27.8 million decrease in refunds of excess deferred taxes to customers, which is substantially offset in income tax expense.

•a $14.5 million increase due to higher capacity contracted by tariff-based customers due to their increased peak day demand.

•a $3.1 million decrease in property taxes, which is inclusive of a $5.4 million decrease related to the Texas property tax legislation discussed above.

Partially offset by:

•an $8.4 million increase in depreciation expense associated with increased capital investments.

•an $18.1 million increase in operation and maintenance expense due to increased storage and compression maintenance and other compliance-related activities.

Interest charges increased $13.5 million primarily due to the issuance of long-term debt during fiscal 2024.

The fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 for our pipeline and storage segment is described in Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.

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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

The liquidity required to fund our working capital, capital expenditures, and other cash needs is provided from a combination of internally generated cash flows and external debt and equity financing. Additionally, we have a $1.5 billion commercial paper program and four committed revolving credit facilities with $3.1 billion in total availability from third-party lenders. The commercial paper program and credit facilities provide cost-effective, short-term financing until it can be replaced with a balance of long-term debt and equity financing that achieves the Company's desired capital structure. Additionally, we have various uncommitted trade credit lines with our gas suppliers that we utilize to purchase natural gas on a monthly basis.

We have a shelf registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that allows us to issue up to $5.0 billion in common stock and/or debt securities. As of the date of this report, $1.1 billion of securities remained available for issuance under the shelf registration statement, which expires March 31, 2026.

We also have an at-the-market (ATM) equity sales program that allows us to issue and sell shares of our common stock up to an aggregate offering price of $1.0 billion (including shares of common stock that may be sold pursuant to forward sale agreements entered into in connection with the ATM equity sales program), which expires March 31, 2026. As of the date of this report, $10.0 million of equity is available for issuance under this ATM equity sales program. Additionally, as of September 30, 2024, we had $1.4 billion in available proceeds from outstanding forward sale agreements issued under the ATM program.

In the first half of fiscal 2025, we anticipate filing a new $8.0 billion shelf registration statement and a prospectus supplement under this new shelf registration statement for a new $1.7 billion ATM equity sales program to replace the former arrangements.

As of September 30, 2024, we had the following forward starting interest rate swaps in place to hedge future planned debt issuances:

The liquidity provided by these sources is expected to be sufficient to fund the Company's working capital needs and capital expenditures program. Additionally, we expect to continue to be able to obtain financing upon reasonable terms as necessary.

The following table presents our capitalization as of September 30, 2024 and 2023:

(1)Inclusive of our finance leases, but exclusive of AEK's securitized long-term debt.

Cash Flows

Our internally generated funds may change in the future due to a number of factors, some of which we cannot control. These factors include regulatory changes, the price for our services, the demand for such products and services, margin requirements resulting from significant changes in commodity prices, operational risks, and other factors.

Cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities for the years ended September 30, 2024, 2023, and 2022 are presented below.

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Cash flows for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 is described in Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.

Cash flows from operating activities

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, cash flow provided by operating activities was $1,733.7 million compared with $3,459.7 million in the prior year. Fiscal 2023 operating cash flow included $2,021.9 million of cash received as a result of the conclusion of Texas securitization proceedings. Excluding this cash inflow, operating cash flow in fiscal 2023 was $1,437.8 million, and the year-over-year increase in operating cash flow primarily reflects the positive effects of successful rate case outcomes achieved in fiscal 2024 and 2023.

Cash flows from investing activities

Our capital expenditures are primarily used to improve the safety and reliability of our distribution and transmission system through pipeline replacement and system modernization and to enhance and expand our system to meet customer needs. Over the last three fiscal years, approximately 86 percent of our capital spending has been committed to improving the safety and reliability of our system.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, we had $2.9 billion in capital expenditures compared with $2.8 billion for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. Capital spending in our distribution segment increased $322.2 million, primarily as a result of increased system modernization and customer growth spending. Capital spending in our pipeline and storage segment decreased $191.0 million, primarily due to the timing of spending for pipeline system safety and reliability in Texas.

Cash flows from financing activities

Our financing activities provided $1,478.6 million of cash for fiscal year 2024 compared with $696.8 million of cash used by financing activities for fiscal year 2023.

During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, we received approximately $2.0 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt and equity. We completed a public offering of $500 million of 6.20% senior notes due October 2053 and $400 million of 5.90% senior notes due October 2033, and received net proceeds from the offering, after the underwriting discount and offering expenses, of $889.4 million. We also completed a public offering of $325 million of 5.90% senior notes due October 2033, and received net proceeds from the offering, after the underwriting discount and offering expenses, of $339.0 million. Additionally, during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, we settled 6,401,469 shares that had been sold on a forward basis for net proceeds of $750.0 million. The net proceeds were used primarily to support capital spending and for other general corporate purposes. We also received $231.1 million from the settlement of forward starting interest rate swaps related to a debt issuance completed in October 2024. Cash dividends increased due to an 8.8 percent increase in our dividend rate and an increase in shares outstanding.

During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, we repaid $2.2 billion in long-term debt, and we received approximately $1.6 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt and equity. We completed a public offering of $500 million of 5.75% senior notes due October 2052 and $300 million of 5.45% senior notes due October 2032, and received net proceeds from the offering, after the underwriting discount and offering expenses, of $789.4 million. Additionally, during the year ended September 30, 2023, we settled 7,272,261 shares that had been sold on a forward basis for net proceeds of $806.9 million. The net proceeds were used primarily to support capital spending and for other general corporate purposes. We also received $171.1 million from the settlement of forward starting interest rate swaps related to a debt issuance completed in October 2023. Cash dividends increased due to an 8.8 percent increase in our dividend rate and an increase in shares

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outstanding. Finally, Atmos Energy Kansas Securitization I, LLC, a special-purpose, wholly-owned subsidiary of Atmos Energy, issued $95 million in securitized long-term debt.

The following table shows the number of shares issued for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024, 2023, and 2022:

(1)Share amounts do not include shares issued under forward sale agreements until the shares have been settled.

Credit Ratings

Our credit ratings directly affect our ability to obtain short-term and long-term financing, in addition to the cost of such financing. In determining our credit ratings, the rating agencies consider a number of quantitative factors, including but not limited to, debt to total capitalization, operating cash flow relative to outstanding debt, operating cash flow coverage of interest, and operating cash flow less dividends to debt. In addition, the rating agencies consider qualitative factors such as consistency of our earnings over time, the risks associated with our business, and the regulatory structures that govern our rates in the states where we operate.

Our debt is rated by two rating agencies: Standard & Poor’s Corporation (S&P) and Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s). On April 1, 2024, Moody's reaffirmed its long-term and short-term credit ratings and placed our ratings under negative outlook. As of September 30, 2024, our outlook and current debt ratings, which are all considered investment grade, are as follows:

A significant degradation in our operating performance or a significant reduction in our liquidity caused by more limited access to the private and public credit markets as a result of deteriorating global or national financial and credit conditions could trigger a negative change in our ratings outlook or even a reduction in our credit ratings by the two credit rating agencies. This would mean more limited access to the private and public credit markets and an increase in the costs of such borrowings.

A credit rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The highest investment grade credit rating is AAA for S&P and Aaa for Moody’s. The lowest investment grade credit rating is BBB- for S&P and Baa3 for Moody’s. Our credit ratings may be revised or withdrawn at any time by the rating agencies, and each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating. There can be no assurance that a rating will remain in effect for any given period of time or that a rating will not be lowered, or withdrawn entirely, by a rating agency if, in its judgment, circumstances so warrant.

Debt Covenants

We were in compliance with all of our debt covenants as of September 30, 2024. Our debt covenants are described in Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements.

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

The following table provides information about contractual obligations and commercial commitments at September 30, 2024.

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(1)Long-term debt excludes our finance lease obligations, which are separately reported within this table. See Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

(2)Interest charges were calculated using the coupon rate for each debt issuance through the contractual maturity date.

(3)Finance lease payments shown above include interest totaling $17.6 million. See Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.

(4)Operating lease payments shown above include interest totaling $61.6 million. See Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.

(5)Represents liabilities for natural gas commodity financial instruments that were valued as of September 30, 2024. The ultimate settlement amounts of these remaining liabilities are unknown because they are subject to continuing market risk until the financial instruments are settled.

(6)Represents expected contributions to our defined benefit and postretirement benefit plans, which are discussed in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements.

(7)Represents liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions claimed or expected to be claimed on tax returns. The amount does not include interest and penalties that may be applied to these positions. See Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

We maintain supply contracts with several vendors that generally cover a period of up to one year. Commitments for estimated base gas volumes are established under these contracts on a monthly basis at contractually negotiated prices. Commitments for incremental daily purchases are made as necessary during the month in accordance with the terms of individual contracts. Our Mid-Tex Division also maintains a limited number of long-term supply contracts to ensure a reliable source of gas for our customers in its service area which obligate it to purchase specified volumes at market and fixed prices. At September 30, 2024, we were committed to purchase 25.9 Bcf within one year and 38.7 Bcf within two to three years under indexed contracts. At September 30, 2024, we were committed to purchase 6.8 Bcf within one year under fixed price contracts with a weighted average price of $3.10 per Mcf.

Risk Management Activities

In our distribution and pipeline and storage segments, we use a combination of physical storage, fixed physical contracts, and fixed financial contracts to reduce our exposure to unusually large winter-period gas price increases. Additionally, we manage interest rate risk by entering into financial instruments to effectively fix the Treasury yield component of the interest cost associated with anticipated financings.

We record our financial instruments as a component of risk management assets and liabilities, which are classified as current or noncurrent based upon the anticipated settlement date of the underlying financial instrument. Substantially all of our financial instruments are valued using external market quotes and indices.

The following table shows the components of the change in fair value of our financial instruments for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 (in thousands):

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The fair value of our financial instruments at September 30, 2024, is presented below by time period and fair value source:

RECENT ACCOUNTING DEVELOPMENTS

Recent accounting developments and their impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows are described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements.

ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

INTRODUCTION

This section provides management’s discussion of the financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of operations of Atmos Energy Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries with specific information on results of operations and liquidity and capital resources. It includes management’s interpretation of our financial results, the factors affecting these results, the major factors expected to affect future operating results and future investment and financing plans. This discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

Several factors exist that could influence our future financial performance, some of which are described in Item 1A above, “Risk Factors”. They should be considered in connection with evaluating forward-looking statements contained in this report or otherwise made by or on behalf of us since these factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those set out in such forward-looking statements.

Cautionary Statement for the Purposes of the Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

The statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Report are forward-looking statements made in good faith by us and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this Report, or any other of our documents or oral presentations, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “goal”, “intend”, “objective”, “plan”, “projection”, “seek”, “strategy” or similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements relating to our strategy, operations, markets, services, rates, recovery of costs, availability of gas supply and other factors. These risks and uncertainties include the following: federal, state and local regulatory and political trends and decisions, including the impact of rate proceedings before various state regulatory commissions; increased federal regulatory oversight and potential penalties; possible increased federal, state and local regulation of the safety of our operations; possible significant costs and liabilities resulting from pipeline integrity and other similar programs and related repairs; the inherent hazards and risks involved in distributing, transporting and storing natural gas; the availability and accessibility of contracted gas supplies, interstate pipeline and/or storage services; increased competition from energy suppliers and alternative forms of energy; failure to attract and retain a qualified workforce; natural disasters, terrorist activities or other events and other risks and uncertainties discussed herein, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control; increased dependence on technology that may hinder the Company's business if such technologies fail; the threat of cyber-attacks or acts of cyber-terrorism that could disrupt our business operations and information technology systems or result in the loss or exposure of confidential or sensitive customer, employee

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or Company information; the impact of new cybersecurity compliance requirements; adverse weather conditions; the impact of greenhouse gas emissions or other legislation or regulations intended to address climate change; the impact of climate change; the capital-intensive nature of our business; our ability to continue to access the credit and capital markets to execute our business strategy; market risks beyond our control affecting our risk management activities, including commodity price volatility, counterparty performance or creditworthiness and interest rate risk; the concentration of our operations in Texas; the impact of adverse economic conditions on our customers; changes in the availability and price of natural gas; and increased costs of providing health care benefits, along with pension and postretirement health care benefits and increased funding requirements. Accordingly, while we believe these forward-looking statements to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will approximate actual experience or that the expectations derived from them will be realized. Further, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of our forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Our consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from estimates.

Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements. The accounting policies discussed below are both important to the presentation of our financial condition and results of operations and require management to make difficult, subjective or complex accounting estimates. Accordingly, these critical accounting policies are reviewed periodically by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

Atmos Energy strives to operate its businesses safely and reliably while delivering superior financial results. Our commitment to modernizing our natural gas distribution and transmission systems requires a significant level of capital spending. We have the ability to begin recovering a significant portion of these investments timely through rate designs and mechanisms that reduce or eliminate regulatory lag and separate the recovery of our approved rate from customer usage patterns. The execution of our capital spending program, the ability to recover these investments timely and our ability to access the capital markets to satisfy our financing needs are the primary drivers that affect our financial performance.

The following table details our consolidated net income by segment during the last three fiscal years:

During fiscal 2023, we recorded net income of $885.9 million, or $6.10 per diluted share, compared to net income of $774.4 million, or $5.60 per diluted share in the prior year. The year-over-year increase in net income of $111.5 million largely reflects positive rate outcomes driven by safety and reliability spending, partially offset by increased line locating costs, system maintenance activities and an increase in depreciation expense and property taxes associated with increased capital investments.

During the year ended September 30, 2023, we implemented ratemaking regulatory actions which resulted in an increase in annual operating income of $263.1 million. Excluding the impact of the refund of excess deferred income taxes resulting from previously enacted tax reform legislation, our total fiscal 2023 rate outcomes were $268.8 million. Additionally, we had ratemaking efforts in progress at September 30, 2023, seeking a total increase in annual operating income of $264.6 million.

During fiscal year 2023, we refunded $160.3 million in excess deferred tax liabilities to customers. These refunds also reduced our income tax expense, resulting in an immaterial impact to our fiscal 2023 and 2022 results.

Capital expenditures for fiscal 2023 were $2.8 billion. Over 85 percent was invested to improve the safety and reliability of our distribution and transportation systems, with a significant portion of this investment incurred under regulatory mechanisms that reduce regulatory lag to six months or less.

During fiscal 2023, we completed approximately $1.6 billion of long-term debt and equity financing. As of September 30, 2023, our equity capitalization was 61.5 percent. As of September 30, 2023, we had approximately $2.7 billion in total liquidity, consisting of $15.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, $466.8 million in funds available through equity forward sales agreements and $2,252.5 million in undrawn capacity under our credit facilities.

Distribution Segment

The distribution segment is primarily comprised of our regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states. The primary factors that impact the results of our distribution operations are our ability to earn our authorized rates of return, competitive factors in the energy industry and economic conditions in our service areas.

Our ability to earn our authorized rates is based primarily on our ability to improve the rate design in our various ratemaking jurisdictions to minimize regulatory lag and, ultimately, separate the recovery of our approved rates from customer usage patterns. Improving rate design is a long-term process and is further complicated by the fact that we operate in multiple rate jurisdictions. The “Ratemaking Activity” section of this Form 10-K describes our current rate strategy, progress towards implementing that strategy and recent ratemaking initiatives in more detail. During fiscal 2023, we completed regulatory proceedings in our distribution segment resulting in a $178.2 million increase in annual operating income. Excluding the impact of the refund of excess deferred income taxes resulting from previously enacted tax reform legislation, our total fiscal 2023 annualized rate outcomes in our distribution segment were $183.8 million.

Our distribution operations are also affected by the cost of natural gas. We are generally able to pass the cost of gas through to our customers without markup under purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms; therefore, increases in the cost of gas are offset by a corresponding increase in revenues. Revenues in our Texas and Mississippi service areas include franchise fees and gross receipts taxes, which are calculated as a percentage of revenue (inclusive of gas costs). Therefore, the amount of

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these taxes included in revenues is influenced by the cost of gas and the level of gas sales volumes. We record the associated tax expense as a component of taxes, other than income.

The cost of gas typically does not have a direct impact on our operating income because these costs are recovered through our purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms. However, higher gas costs may adversely impact our accounts receivable collections, resulting in higher bad debt expense. This risk is currently mitigated by rate design that allows us to collect from our customers the gas cost portion of our bad debt expense on approximately 80 percent of our residential and commercial revenues. Additionally, higher gas costs may require us to increase borrowings under our credit facilities, resulting in higher interest expense. Finally, higher gas costs, as well as competitive factors in the industry and general economic conditions may cause customers to conserve or, in the case of industrial consumers, to use alternative energy sources.

Review of Financial and Operating Results

Financial and operational highlights for our distribution segment for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023, 2022 and 2021 are presented below.

Fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2022

Operating income for our distribution segment increased 14.6 percent. Key drivers for the change in operating income include:

•a $166.4 million increase in rate adjustments, primarily in our Mid-Tex Division.

•an $18.4 million increase related to residential customer growth, primarily in our Mid-Tex Division, and increased industrial load.

•an $11.7 million increase in consumption, net of WNA.

•a $7.5 million decrease in refunds of excess deferred taxes to customers, which is substantially offset in income tax expense.

Partially offset by:

•a $65.4 million increase in depreciation expense and property taxes associated with increased capital investments.

•a $20.2 million increase in line locate spending, primarily in our Mid-Tex Division.

•a $4.9 million increase in bad debt expense primarily due to higher customer bills.

•a $21.6 million increase in other operation and maintenance expense primarily due to increased insurance premiums, travel spending, information technology spending and other administrative costs.

Other non-operating income increased $18.0 million primarily due to a higher allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC) related to increased capital spending as well as unrealized gains on equity investments in the current

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period compared to unrealized losses on equity investments in the prior period. Interest charges increased $27.3 million primarily due to the issuance of long-term debt during the first quarter of fiscal 2023.

The fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 for our distribution segment is described in Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

The following table shows our operating income by distribution division, in order of total rate base, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023, 2022 and 2021. The presentation of our distribution operating income is included for financial reporting purposes and may not be appropriate for ratemaking purposes.

Pipeline and Storage Segment

Our pipeline and storage segment consists of the pipeline and storage operations of our Atmos Pipeline–Texas Division (APT) and our natural gas transmission operations in Louisiana. APT is one of the largest intrastate pipeline operations in Texas with a heavy concentration in the established natural gas producing areas of central, northern and eastern Texas, extending into or near the major producing areas of the Barnett Shale, the Texas Gulf Coast and the Permian Basin of West Texas. APT provides transportation and storage services to our Mid-Tex Division, other third-party local distribution companies, industrial and electric generation customers, as well as marketers and producers. Over 80 percent of this segment's revenues are derived from these APT services. As part of its pipeline operations, APT owns and operates five underground storage facilities in Texas.

Our natural gas transmission operations in Louisiana are comprised of a 21-mile pipeline located in the New Orleans, Louisiana area that is primarily used to aggregate gas supply for our distribution division in Louisiana under a long-term contract and, on a more limited basis, to third parties. The demand fee charged to our Louisiana distribution division for these services is subject to regulatory approval by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. We also manage two asset management plans, which have been approved by applicable state regulatory commissions. Generally, these asset management plans require us to share with our distribution customers a significant portion of the cost savings earned from these arrangements.

Our pipeline and storage segment is impacted by seasonal weather patterns, competitive factors in the energy industry and economic conditions in our Texas and Louisiana service areas. Natural gas prices do not directly impact the results of this segment as revenues are derived from the transportation and storage of natural gas. However, natural gas prices and demand for natural gas could influence the level of drilling activity in the supply areas that we serve, which may influence the level of throughput we may be able to transport on our pipelines. Further, natural gas price differences between the various hubs that we serve in Texas could influence the volumes of gas transported for shippers through our Texas pipeline system and rates for such transportation.

The results of APT are also significantly impacted by the natural gas requirements of its local distribution company customers. Additionally, its operations may be impacted by the timing of when costs and expenses are incurred and when these costs and expenses are recovered through its tariffs.

APT annually uses GRIP to recover capital costs incurred in the prior calendar year. On February 10, 2023, APT made a GRIP filing that covered changes in net property, plant and equipment investment from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022 with a requested increase in operating income of $84.9 million. On May 17, 2023, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) approved the Company's GRIP filing. Additionally, GRIP requires a utility to file a statement of intent at least once every five years to review its costs and expenses, including capital costs filed for recovery under GRIP. On May 19, 2023, APT filed its statement of intent seeking $107.4 million in additional annual operating income. On October 24, 2023, APT and the intervening parties in its general rate case filed a Joint Notice of Settlement and Proposed Order. See "Ratemaking Activity" above for further information.

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The demand fee our Louisiana natural gas transmission pipeline charges to our Louisiana distribution division increases five percent annually and has been approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission until September 30, 2027.

Review of Financial and Operating Results

Financial and operational highlights for our pipeline and storage segment for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023, 2022 and 2021 are presented below.

Fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2022

Operating income for our pipeline and storage segment increased 18.4 percent. Key drivers for the change in operating income include:

•an $87.3 million increase due to rate adjustments from GRIP filings approved in May 2022 and 2023. The increase in rates was driven by increased safety and reliability spending.

•a $5.2 million net increase in APT's through-system activities primarily associated with increased volumes.

Partially offset by:

•a $33.1 million increase in operating expenses primarily attributable to increased depreciation expense and property taxes associated with increased capital investments, employee-related costs, and pipeline inspection activities.

Other non-operating income increased $18.0 million primarily due to higher AFUDC largely as a result of increased capital spending. Interest charges increased $7.2 million primarily due to the issuance of long-term debt during the first quarter of fiscal 2023.

The fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 for our pipeline and storage segment is described in Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2022

In August 2022, the U.S. government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the Inflation Reduction Act) into law. The Inflation Reduction Act includes a new corporate alternative minimum tax (the Corporate AMT) of 15% on the adjusted financial statement income (AFSI) of corporations with average AFSI exceeding $1.0 billion over a three-year period. We currently anticipate this tax will apply to us within the next three years, and it could materially impact our cash tax payments. However, we don't anticipate any impact to our results of operations. Also, the Inflation Reduction Act imposes a methane emissions charge for methane emissions in excess of 25,000 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent per year. Based on our preliminary evaluation of the regulations, we currently do not anticipate this provision of the Inflation Reduction Act will have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act

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imposes an excise tax of 1% tax on the fair market value of net stock repurchases made after December 31, 2022. The impact of this provision will be dependent on the extent of share repurchases made in future periods.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

The liquidity required to fund our working capital, capital expenditures and other cash needs is provided from a combination of internally generated cash flows and external debt and equity financing. Additionally, we have a $1.5 billion commercial paper program and four committed revolving credit facilities with $2.5 billion in total availability from third-party lenders. The commercial paper program and credit facilities provide cost-effective, short-term financing until it can be replaced with a balance of long-term debt and equity financing that achieves the Company's desired capital structure. Additionally, we have various uncommitted trade credit lines with our gas suppliers that we utilize to purchase natural gas on a monthly basis.

We have a shelf registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that allows us to issue up to $5.0 billion in common stock and/or debt securities. As of the date of this report, $3.1 billion of securities remained available for issuance under the shelf registration statement, which expires March 31, 2026.

We also have an at-the-market (ATM) equity sales program that allows us to issue and sell shares of our common stock up to an aggregate offering price of $1.0 billion (including shares of common stock that may be sold pursuant to forward sale agreements entered into in connection with the ATM equity sales program), which expires March 31, 2026. At September 30, 2023, $760.5 million of equity is available for issuance under this ATM equity sales program. Additionally, as of September 30, 2023, we had $466.8 million in available proceeds from outstanding forward sale agreements.

On September 26, 2023, we settled $700 million of forward starting interest rate swaps associated with a debt issuance that was completed on October 10, 2023. The following table summarizes our existing forward starting interest rate swaps as of September 30, 2023.

The liquidity provided by these sources is expected to be sufficient to fund the Company's working capital needs and capital expenditures program. Additionally, we expect to continue to be able to obtain financing upon reasonable terms as necessary.

The following table presents our capitalization as of September 30, 2023 and 2022:

(1)Inclusive of our finance leases, but exclusive of AEK's securitized long-term debt.

(2)Excluding the $2.2 billion of incremental financing issued to pay for the purchased gas costs incurred during Winter Storm Uri, our equity capitalization ratio would have been 61.3% at September 30, 2022.

Cash Flows

Our internally generated funds may change in the future due to a number of factors, some of which we cannot control. These factors include regulatory changes, the price for our services, the demand for such products and services, margin requirements resulting from significant changes in commodity prices, operational risks and other factors.

Cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities for the years ended September 30, 2023, 2022 and 2021 are presented below.

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Cash flows for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 is described in Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

Cash flows from operating activities

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, cash flow provided by operating activities was $3,459.7 million compared with $977.6 million in the prior year. Fiscal 2023 operating cash flow included $2,021.9 million of cash received as a result of the conclusion of Texas securitization proceedings. Excluding this cash inflow, operating cash flow in fiscal 2023 was $1,437.8 million. The year-over-year increase in operating cash flow reflects the positive effects of successful rate case outcomes achieved in fiscal 2022 and 2023 and decreased purchases of gas stored underground.

Cash flows from investing activities

Our capital expenditures are primarily used to improve the safety and reliability of our distribution and transmission system through pipeline replacement and system modernization and to enhance and expand our system to meet customer needs. Over the last three fiscal years, approximately 87 percent of our capital spending has been committed to improving the safety and reliability of our system.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, we had $2.8 billion in capital expenditures compared with $2.4 billion for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022. Capital spending increased by $361.6 million, or 15 percent, as a result of planned increases to modernize our system and improve pipeline system safety and reliability in Texas and further enhance the safety, reliability, versatility and supply diversification of APT's system.

Cash flows from financing activities

Our financing activities used $696.8 million of cash for fiscal year 2023 compared with $1,387.2 million of cash provided by financing activities for fiscal year 2022.

During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, we repaid $2.2 billion in long-term debt, and we received approximately $1.6 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt and equity. We completed a public offering of $500 million of 5.75% senior notes due October 2052 and $300 million of 5.45% senior notes due October 2032, and received net proceeds from the offering, after the underwriting discount and offering expenses, of $789.4 million. Additionally, during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, we settled 7,272,261 shares that had been sold on a forward basis for net proceeds of $806.9 million. The net proceeds were used primarily to support capital spending and for other general corporate purposes. We also received $171.1 million from the settlement of forward starting interest rate swaps related to a debt issuance completed in October 2023. Cash dividends increased due to an 8.8 percent increase in our dividend rate and an increase in shares outstanding. Finally, Atmos Energy Kansas Securitization I, LLC, a special-purpose, wholly-owned subsidiary of Atmos Energy, issued $95 million in securitized long-term debt.

During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, we received $1.6 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt and equity. We completed a public offering of $600 million of 2.85% senior notes due February 2052. We also completed a public offering of $200 million of 2.625% senior notes due September 2029 that were used to repay our $200 million floating-rate term loan. Additionally, during the year ended September 30, 2022, we settled 7,907,833 shares that had been sold on a forward basis for net proceeds of $776.8 million. The net proceeds were used primarily to support capital spending and for other general corporate purposes. We also received $197.1 million from the settlement of forward starting interest rate swaps related to a debt issuance completed in October 2022. Additionally, cash dividends increased due to an 8.8 percent increase in our dividend rate and an increase in shares outstanding.

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The following table shows the number of shares issued for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023, 2022 and 2021:

(1)Share amounts do not include shares issued under forward sale agreements until the shares have been settled.

Credit Ratings

Our credit ratings directly affect our ability to obtain short-term and long-term financing, in addition to the cost of such financing. In determining our credit ratings, the rating agencies consider a number of quantitative factors, including but not limited to, debt to total capitalization, operating cash flow relative to outstanding debt, operating cash flow coverage of interest and operating cash flow less dividends to debt. In addition, the rating agencies consider qualitative factors such as consistency of our earnings over time, the risks associated with our business and the regulatory structures that govern our rates in the states where we operate.

Our debt is rated by two rating agencies: Standard & Poor’s Corporation (S&P) and Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s). As of September 30, 2023, our outlook and current debt ratings, which are all considered investment grade are as follows:

A significant degradation in our operating performance or a significant reduction in our liquidity caused by more limited access to the private and public credit markets as a result of deteriorating global or national financial and credit conditions could trigger a negative change in our ratings outlook or even a reduction in our credit ratings by the two credit rating agencies. This would mean more limited access to the private and public credit markets and an increase in the costs of such borrowings.

A credit rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The highest investment grade credit rating is AAA for S&P and Aaa for Moody’s. The lowest investment grade credit rating is BBB- for S&P and Baa3 for Moody’s. Our credit ratings may be revised or withdrawn at any time by the rating agencies, and each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating. There can be no assurance that a rating will remain in effect for any given period of time or that a rating will not be lowered, or withdrawn entirely, by a rating agency if, in its judgment, circumstances so warrant.

Debt Covenants

We were in compliance with all of our debt covenants as of September 30, 2023. Our debt covenants are described in Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements.

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Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

The following table provides information about contractual obligations and commercial commitments at September 30, 2023.

(1)Long-term and short-term debt excludes our finance lease obligations, which are separately reported within this table. See Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

(2)Interest charges were calculated using the coupon rate for each debt issuance through the contractual maturity date.

(3)Finance lease payments shown above include interest totaling $19.5 million. See Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.

(4)Operating lease payments shown above include interest totaling $47.7 million. See Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.

(5)Represents liabilities for natural gas commodity financial instruments that were valued as of September 30, 2023. The ultimate settlement amounts of these remaining liabilities are unknown because they are subject to continuing market risk until the financial instruments are settled.

(6)Represents expected contributions to our defined benefit and postretirement benefit plans, which are discussed in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements.

(7)Represents liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions claimed or expected to be claimed on tax returns. The amount does not include interest and penalties that may be applied to these positions. See Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

We maintain supply contracts with several vendors that generally cover a period of up to one year. Commitments for estimated base gas volumes are established under these contracts on a monthly basis at contractually negotiated prices. Commitments for incremental daily purchases are made as necessary during the month in accordance with the terms of individual contracts. Our Mid-Tex Division also maintains a limited number of long-term supply contracts to ensure a reliable source of gas for our customers in its service area which obligate it to purchase specified volumes at market and fixed prices. At September 30, 2023, we were committed to purchase 65.5 Bcf within one year and 72.3 Bcf within two to three years under indexed contracts. At September 30, 2023, we were committed to purchase 20.6 Bcf within one year under fixed price contracts with a weighted average price of $2.80 per Mcf.

Risk Management Activities

In our distribution and pipeline and storage segments, we use a combination of physical storage, fixed physical contracts and fixed financial contracts to reduce our exposure to unusually large winter-period gas price increases. Additionally, we manage interest rate risk by entering into financial instruments to effectively fix the Treasury yield component of the interest cost associated with anticipated financings.

We record our financial instruments as a component of risk management assets and liabilities, which are classified as current or noncurrent based upon the anticipated settlement date of the underlying financial instrument. Substantially all of our financial instruments are valued using external market quotes and indices.

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The following table shows the components of the change in fair value of our financial instruments for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 (in thousands):

The fair value of our financial instruments at September 30, 2023, is presented below by time period and fair value source:

RECENT ACCOUNTING DEVELOPMENTS

Recent accounting developments and their impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows are described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements.

ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

INTRODUCTION

This section provides management’s discussion of the financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of operations of Atmos Energy Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries with specific information on results of operations and liquidity and capital resources. It includes management’s interpretation of our financial results, the factors affecting these results, the major factors expected to affect future operating results and future investment and financing plans. This discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

Several factors exist that could influence our future financial performance, some of which are described in Item 1A above, “Risk Factors”. They should be considered in connection with evaluating forward-looking statements contained in this report or otherwise made by or on behalf of us since these factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those set out in such forward-looking statements.

Cautionary Statement for the Purposes of the Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

The statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Report are forward-looking statements made in good faith by us and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this Report, or any other of our documents or oral presentations, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “goal”, “intend”, “objective”, “plan”, “projection”, “seek”, “strategy” or similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements relating to our strategy, operations, markets, services, rates, recovery of costs, availability of gas supply and other factors. These risks and uncertainties include the following: federal, state and local regulatory and political trends and decisions, including the impact of rate proceedings before various state regulatory commissions; increased federal regulatory oversight and potential penalties; possible increased federal, state and local regulation of the safety of our operations; possible significant costs and liabilities resulting from pipeline integrity and other similar programs and related repairs; the inherent hazards and risks involved in distributing, transporting and storing natural gas; the availability and accessibility of contracted gas supplies, interstate pipeline and/or storage services; increased competition from energy suppliers and alternative forms of energy; failure to attract and retain a qualified workforce; natural disasters, terrorist activities or other events and other risks and uncertainties discussed herein, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control; increased dependence on technology that may hinder the Company's business if such technologies fail; the threat of cyber-attacks or acts of cyber-terrorism that could disrupt our business operations and information technology systems or result in the loss or exposure of confidential or sensitive customer, employee or Company information; the impact of new cybersecurity compliance requirements; adverse weather conditions; the impact of

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greenhouse gas emissions or other legislation or regulations intended to address climate change; the impact of climate change; the capital-intensive nature of our business; our ability to continue to access the credit and capital markets to execute our business strategy; market risks beyond our control affecting our risk management activities, including commodity price volatility, counterparty performance or creditworthiness and interest rate risk; the concentration of our operations in Texas; the impact of adverse economic conditions on our customers; changes in the availability and price of natural gas; and increased costs of providing health care benefits, along with pension and postretirement health care benefits and increased funding requirements. Accordingly, while we believe these forward-looking statements to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will approximate actual experience or that the expectations derived from them will be realized. Further, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of our forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Our consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from estimates.

Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements. The accounting policies discussed below are both important to the presentation of our financial condition and results of operations and require management to make difficult, subjective or complex accounting estimates. Accordingly, these critical accounting policies are reviewed periodically by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

As described further in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements, due to the passage of Kansas House Bill 2585, we remeasured our deferred tax liability and updated our state deferred tax rate. As a result, we recorded a non-cash income tax benefit of $21.0 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. Due to the non-recurring nature of this benefit, we believe that net income and diluted net income per share before the non-cash income tax benefit provide a more relevant measure to analyze our financial performance than net income and diluted net income per share in order to allow investors to better analyze our core results and allow the information to be presented on a comparative basis. Accordingly, the following discussion and analysis of our financial performance will reference adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share, non-GAAP measures, which are calculated as follows:

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

Atmos Energy strives to operate its businesses safely and reliably while delivering superior shareholder value. Our commitment to modernizing our natural gas distribution and transmission systems requires a significant level of capital spending. We have the ability to begin recovering a significant portion of these investments timely through rate designs and mechanisms that reduce or eliminate regulatory lag and separate the recovery of our approved rate from customer usage patterns. The execution of our capital spending program, the ability to recover these investments timely and our ability to access the capital markets to satisfy our financing needs are the primary drivers that affect our financial performance.

The following table details our consolidated net income by segment during the last three fiscal years:

During fiscal 2022, we recorded net income of $774.4 million, or $5.60 per diluted share, compared to net income of $665.6 million, or $5.12 per diluted share in the prior year. The year-over-year increase in net income of $108.8 million largely reflects positive rate outcomes driven by safety and reliability spending and distribution customer growth, partially offset by an increase in employee related costs, increased spending on system maintenance activities and an increase in depreciation expense and property taxes associated with increased capital investments.

During the year ended September 30, 2022, we implemented ratemaking regulatory actions which resulted in an increase in annual operating income of $174.9 million. Excluding the impact of the refund of excess deferred income taxes resulting from previously enacted tax reform legislation, our total fiscal 2022 rate outcomes were $215.6 million. Additionally, we had ratemaking efforts in progress at September 30, 2022, seeking a total increase in annual operating income of $144.5 million.

During fiscal year 2022, we refunded $167.8 million in excess deferred tax liabilities to customers. The refunds reduced operating income and reduced our annual effective income tax rate to 9.1% in fiscal 2022 compared with 18.8% in fiscal 2021.

Capital expenditures for fiscal 2022 were $2.4 billion. Over 85 percent was invested to improve the safety and reliability of our distribution and transportation systems, with a significant portion of this investment incurred under regulatory mechanisms that reduce regulatory lag to six months or less.

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During fiscal 2022, we completed approximately $1.6 billion of long-term debt and equity financing. As of September 30, 2022, our equity capitalization was 53.6 percent. Excluding the $2.2 billion of incremental financing issued in conjunction with Winter Storm Uri, our equity capitalization was 61.3 percent. As of September 30, 2022, we had approximately $3.1 billion in total liquidity, consisting of $51.6 million in cash and cash equivalents, $776.6 million in funds available through equity forward sales agreements and $2,309.4 million in undrawn capacity under our credit facilities.

As a result of the continued stability of our earnings, cash flows and capital structure, our Board of Directors increased the quarterly dividend by 8.8% percent for fiscal 2023.

Distribution Segment

The distribution segment is primarily comprised of our regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states. The primary factors that impact the results of our distribution operations are our ability to earn our authorized rates of return, competitive factors in the energy industry and economic conditions in our service areas.

Our ability to earn our authorized rates is based primarily on our ability to improve the rate design in our various ratemaking jurisdictions to minimize regulatory lag and, ultimately, separate the recovery of our approved rates from customer usage patterns. Improving rate design is a long-term process and is further complicated by the fact that we operate in multiple rate jurisdictions. The “Ratemaking Activity” section of this Form 10-K describes our current rate strategy, progress towards implementing that strategy and recent ratemaking initiatives in more detail. During fiscal 2022, we completed regulatory proceedings in our distribution segment resulting in a $96.2 million increase in annual operating income. Excluding the impact of the refund of excess deferred income taxes resulting from previously enacted tax reform legislation, our total fiscal 2022 annualized rate outcomes in our distribution segment were $136.8 million.

Our distribution operations are also affected by the cost of natural gas. We are generally able to pass the cost of gas through to our customers without markup under purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms; therefore, increases in the cost of gas are offset by a corresponding increase in revenues. Revenues in our Texas and Mississippi service areas include franchise fees and gross receipts taxes, which are calculated as a percentage of revenue (inclusive of gas costs). Therefore, the amount of these taxes included in revenues is influenced by the cost of gas and the level of gas sales volumes. We record the associated tax expense as a component of taxes, other than income.

The cost of gas typically does not have a direct impact on our operating income because these costs are recovered through our purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms. However, higher gas costs may adversely impact our accounts receivable collections, resulting in higher bad debt expense. This risk is currently mitigated by rate design that allows us to collect from our customers the gas cost portion of our bad debt expense on approximately 81 percent of our residential and commercial revenues. Additionally, higher gas costs may require us to increase borrowings under our credit facilities, resulting in higher interest expense. Finally, higher gas costs, as well as competitive factors in the industry and general economic conditions may cause customers to conserve or, in the case of industrial consumers, to use alternative energy sources.

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Review of Financial and Operating Results

Financial and operational highlights for our distribution segment for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022, 2021 and 2020 are presented below.

(1)See Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements for further information.

Fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2021

Operating income for our distribution segment decreased two percent. Increased refunds of excess deferred taxes to customers decreased year-over-year operating income $98.5 million and reduced the effective income tax rate for this segment to 7.1% compared to 20.6% in the prior year. Additional key drivers for the change in operating income include:

•a $149.9 million increase in rate adjustments, primarily in our Mid-Tex, West Texas and Louisiana Divisions.

•a $15.2 million increase due to an increase in the number of customers served, primarily in our Mid-Tex Division.

•a $24.9 million decrease in bad debt expense, primarily due to the resumption of collection activities in late fiscal 2021 following the expiration of pandemic-related collection moratoriums.

Partially offset by:

•a $50.4 million increase in depreciation expense and property taxes associated with increased capital investments.

•a $17.3 million decrease in consumption, net of WNA, primarily due to the decline in residential consumption during the second fiscal quarter.

•an $8.8 million increase in system maintenance and related activities.

•a $25.5 million increase in employee related costs driven by increased headcount, increased number of service orders performed and higher benefits costs.

•an $8.9 million increase in insurance premiums.

The year-over-year change in other non-operating income (expense) of $27.6 million primarily reflects lower non-service costs related to our postretirement medical plan, partially offset by an increase in unrealized losses on equity investments. Interest charges increased $13.3 million due to the issuance of long-term debt during fiscal 2022 and interest expense recognized in fiscal 2022 related to debt incurred as a result of Winter Storm Uri. As described in Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements, interest related to the incremental financing incurred as a result of Winter Storm Uri was deferred through December 31, 2021 pursuant to a regulatory order issued by the State of Texas.

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The fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 compared with fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 for our distribution segment is described in Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.

The following table shows our operating income by distribution division, in order of total rate base, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022, 2021 and 2020. The presentation of our distribution operating income is included for financial reporting purposes and may not be appropriate for ratemaking purposes.

Pipeline and Storage Segment

Our pipeline and storage segment consists of the pipeline and storage operations of our Atmos Pipeline–Texas Division (APT) and our natural gas transmission operations in Louisiana. APT is one of the largest intrastate pipeline operations in Texas with a heavy concentration in the established natural gas producing areas of central, northern and eastern Texas, extending into or near the major producing areas of the Barnett Shale, the Texas Gulf Coast and the Permian Basin of West Texas. APT provides transportation and storage services to our Mid-Tex Division, other third-party local distribution companies, industrial and electric generation customers, as well as marketers and producers. Over 80 percent of this segment's revenues are derived from these services. As part of its pipeline operations, APT owns and operates five underground storage facilities in Texas.

Our natural gas transmission operations in Louisiana are comprised of a 21-mile pipeline located in the New Orleans, Louisiana area that is primarily used to aggregate gas supply for our distribution division in Louisiana under a long-term contract and, on a more limited basis, to third parties. The demand fee charged to our Louisiana distribution division for these services is subject to regulatory approval by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. We also manage two asset management plans, which have been approved by applicable state regulatory commissions. Generally, these asset management plans require us to share with our distribution customers a significant portion of the cost savings earned from these arrangements.

Our pipeline and storage segment is impacted by seasonal weather patterns, competitive factors in the energy industry and economic conditions in our Texas and Louisiana service areas. Natural gas prices do not directly impact the results of this segment as revenues are derived from the transportation and storage of natural gas. However, natural gas prices and demand for natural gas could influence the level of drilling activity in the supply areas that we serve, which may influence the level of throughput we may be able to transport on our pipelines. Further, natural gas price differences between the various hubs that we serve in Texas could influence the volumes of gas transported for shippers through our Texas pipeline system and rates for such transportation.

The results of APT are also significantly impacted by the natural gas requirements of its local distribution company customers. Additionally, its operations may be impacted by the timing of when costs and expenses are incurred and when these costs and expenses are recovered through its tariffs.

APT annually uses GRIP to recover capital costs incurred in the prior calendar year. On February 11, 2022, APT made a GRIP filing that covered changes in net property, plant and equipment investment from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 with a requested increase in operating income of $78.8 million. On May 18, 2022, the Texas Railroad Commission approved the Company's GRIP filing.

The demand fee our Louisiana natural gas transmission pipeline charges to our Louisiana distribution division increases five percent annually and has been approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission until September 30, 2027.

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Review of Financial and Operating Results

Financial and operational highlights for our pipeline and storage segment for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022, 2021 and 2020 are presented below.