ATO vs QQQ Stock Comparison

Compare ATO and QQQ across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.

Market data as of Sep 11, 2026 market close· AIQ score gap 10 points
ATO
Utilities
vs
QQQ
Equity
ATO
Atmos Energy Corporation
Price
$163
Day move
-0.98%
AIQ Score
46/100
Best edge
Value
Sector
Utilities
QQQ
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Leads
Price
$715
Day move
+0.87%
AIQ Score
56/100
Best edge
Quality
Sector
Equity

What is the main difference between ATO and QQQ?

QQQ leads the current stock comparison as Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1, with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

Atmos Energy Corporation vs Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1

Data as of Sep 11, 2026· market close· ATO (stock) vs QQQ (ETF)· Coverage 66/66 fields· 42/42 directly comparable· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 5/10

QQQ leads

QQQ leads by 10 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Momentum, but the lead has narrowed from 18 points over 30 sessions.

Fragile: 3 of 4 evidence groups support QQQ, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 3 of 4Comparison trend: Weakening
ATO

Atmos Energy Corporation

AIQ Score
46/100
AIQ Edge Score
7/10
QQQ

Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1

Leads
AIQ Score
56/100
AIQ Edge Score
8/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors QQQ over ATO, 56 versus 46 as of Sep 11, 2026. QQQ's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and momentum, while ATO holds the stronger value profile. QQQ also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 3 of 4 covered evidence groups favor QQQ today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 18 to 10 points over 30 sessions.

Compare Atmos Energy Corporation and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.

Currently unavailable

Performance over time

Price-return comparison using available daily close history.

ATO
+78.8%
QQQ
+88.3%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000

ATO $17,879 · QQQ $18,832

Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.

Compare ATO and QQQ against another ticker

Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.

Basic: 2 symbols·Explorer: 3 symbols·Pro and Premium: 5 symbols·Your limit: 2

AIQ Factor Divergence

Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.

ATO advantage
0
QQQ advantage
  • Quality57 vs 83
    QQQ +26
  • Momentum29 vs 45
    QQQ +16
  • Risk Resilience61 vs 75
    QQQ +14
  • Value41 vs 30
    ATO +11

3 of 4 evidence groups favor QQQ. QQQ’s edge is concentrated in quality and momentum; ATO keeps a meaningful value edge.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.

ATO0 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -2

New signals

  • BB Lower Band Breach bullish, volatility, short horizon
  • MACD Bearish Crossover bearish, momentum, short horizon
QQQ-5 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -17

No new signals fired.

QQQ's lead narrowed by 5 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — ATO and QQQ both carry a full feed there.

The central trade-off

QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and momentum.

ATO (Atmos Energy Corporation): the counter-case, on value, valuation.

Which one fits your objective

The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.

Balanced

QQQ

QQQ on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

ATO

ATO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 11 points.

Momentum

QQQ

QQQ on the Momentum factor, by 16 points.

Lower downside

QQQ

QQQ on Risk Resilience, by 14 points.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

AIQ vs Wall Street

Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.

MeasureATOQQQNote
Implied upside to target+15.3%Level
Target dispersion+11.2%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusHoldContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering6Higher coverage generally improves confidence

Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

3 of 4 covered evidence groups favor QQQ. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreQQQ46 vs 56
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationATOValue 41 vs 30
TechnicalsQQQPrice vs 50-day -5.3% vs 0.6%; vs 200-day -5.4% vs 7.5%
Risk ResilienceQQQRisk Resilience 61 vs 75
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of ATO and QQQ and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Fragile

The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.

  • The AIQ gap is moderate at 10 points.
  • The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on QQQ.

How the comparison changed

119 daily snapshots · May 4 Sep 10

QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 18 to 10 points over 30 sessions.

May 4ATO leads above the line · QQQ leads belowSep 10
Today
QQQ +10
46 vs 56
7 sessions ago
QQQ +11
48 vs 59
30 sessions ago
QQQ +18
46 vs 64
90 sessions ago
ATO +8
58 vs 50

The lead changed hands 8 times in this window, most recently on Jul 31 when QQQ moved ahead of ATO.

AIQ Signal Divergence

Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.

ATOConflicted

1 bullish / 3 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

  • Death Cross Active bearish, trend, long horizon (1.76%)
  • Bollinger Band Squeeze neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • BB Lower Band Breach bullish, volatility, short horizon
QQQConflicted

2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (7.75%)
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • ATR Contraction - Coiling neutral, volatility, short horizon (1.27%)

QQQ leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

ATONo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.98%, AIQ 0 points).

QQQDivergence

Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 5 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +0.87%, AIQ -5 points).

What would flip this result

A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.

  1. 1ATO closes the Quality gap — currently 26 points behind, the largest single contributor to QQQ's edge.
  2. 2ATO's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
  3. 3QQQ's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
  4. 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 8 points over 30 sessions, and a further 10-point move would eliminate QQQ's advantage entirely.

The full evidence

Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.

Fundamentals

Split
MetricATOQQQ
Revenue growth (YoY)-55.2%
EPS growth (YoY)-58.7%
Gross margin61%
Operating margin37%
Return on equity (TTM)9.7%
Debt to equity0.67

Performance

QQQ leads 6 of 6 windows
MetricATOQQQ
1 week (5 sessions)-1.7%-0.1%
1 month (20 sessions)-2.8%-2.1%
3 months (63 sessions)-2.6%2.2%
6 months (126 sessions)-10.6%16.6%
Year to date-1%15.4%
1 year (252 sessions)0.6%22.4%

Technicals

QQQ has the stronger structure
MetricATOQQQ
RSI (14)34.648.1
ADX (14)9.59.8
Price vs 50-day-5.3%0.6%
Price vs 200-day-5.4%7.5%
Volatility (1M, annualized)13.1%13%

Risk

QQQ is the more resilient
MetricATOQQQ
Beta-0.161.42
Sharpe ratio-0.140.92
Sortino ratio-0.221.38
Max drawdown-14.3%-12.2%
Current drawdown-14.3%-5%
Annualized volatility15.6%19.7%
Value at risk (95%)-1.7%-1.9%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which is better, ATO or QQQ?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, QQQ is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 56 against ATO's 46. The edge comes from quality and momentum. ATO is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.

Is ATO or QQQ the better buy right now?

QQQ carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. Treat the lead as provisional.

Why does the AIQ Score favor QQQ over ATO?

The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. QQQ leads Quality by 26 points; QQQ leads Momentum by 16 points; QQQ leads Risk Resilience by 14 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which has more analyst upside, ATO or QQQ?

Analyst price targets imply +15.3% upside for ATO and not covered for QQQ. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

Which is better value, ATO or QQQ?

ATO is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. ATO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 11 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.

Which has stronger growth, ATO or QQQ?

Growth figures are not covered for both names. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.

Which has stronger momentum, ATO or QQQ?

QQQ on the Momentum factor, by 16 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.

Which is riskier, ATO or QQQ?

QQQ is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. QQQ on Risk Resilience, by 14 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is ATO more profitable than QQQ?

Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.

Is QQQ's lead over ATO getting stronger or weaker?

QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 18 to 10 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands 8 times in that window, most recently on 2026-07-31, when QQQ moved ahead of ATO.

What would change the ATO vs QQQ verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: ATO closes the Quality gap — currently 26 points behind, the largest single contributor to QQQ's edge; ATO's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; QQQ's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 8 points over 30 sessions, and a further 10-point move would eliminate QQQ's advantage entirely.

What do the current signals say about ATO and QQQ?

ATO: 1 bullish / 3 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. QQQ: 2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on ATO is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On QQQ it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

Continue your research

This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.

The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.

How to use side-by-side comparison →

This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.