10-Q

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

(Mark One)

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2020

or

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                    to                    

Commission File Number 1-10042

Atmos Energy Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Texas	and		Virginia	75-1743247
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)				(IRS employer identification no.)
1800 Three Lincoln Centre
5430 LBJ Freeway
Dallas		Texas		75240
(Address of principal executive offices)				(Zip code)

(972) 934-9227

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Title of each class		Trading Symbol	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock	No Par Value	ATO	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer þ Accelerated filer ¨ Non-accelerated filer ¨ Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act)    Yes  ☐    No  þ

Number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of May 1, 2020.

Class		Shares Outstanding
Common stock	No Par Value	122,311,513

GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS

AEC	Atmos Energy Corporation
AOCI	Accumulated other comprehensive income
ARM	Annual Rate Mechanism
Bcf	Billion cubic feet
DARR	Dallas Annual Rate Review
FASB	Financial Accounting Standards Board
GAAP	Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
GRIP	Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program
GSRS	Gas System Reliability Surcharge
LIBOR	London Interbank Offered Rate
Mcf	Thousand cubic feet
MMcf	Million cubic feet
Moody’s	Moody’s Investors Services, Inc.
NTSB	National Transportation Safety Board
PPA	Pension Protection Act of 2006
PRP	Pipeline Replacement Program
RRC	Railroad Commission of Texas
RRM	Rate Review Mechanism
RSC	Rate Stabilization Clause
S&P	Standard & Poor’s Corporation
SAVE	Steps to Advance Virginia Energy
SEC	United States Securities and Exchange Commission
SIR	System Integrity Rider
SRF	Stable Rate Filing
SSIR	System Safety and Integrity Rider
TCJA	Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
WNA	Weather Normalization Adjustment

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS 

	March 31, 2020			September 30, 2019
	(Unaudited)
	(In thousands, except share data)
ASSETS
Property, plant and equipment	$	15,044,831		$	14,180,593
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	2,496,591			2,392,924
Net property, plant and equipment	12,548,240			11,787,669
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	320,099			24,550
Accounts receivable, net	377,817			230,571
Gas stored underground	68,061			130,138
Other current assets	63,584			72,772
Total current assets	829,561			458,031
Goodwill	730,706			730,706
Deferred charges and other assets	607,891			391,213
	$	14,716,398		$	13,367,619
CAPITALIZATION AND LIABILITIES
Shareholders’ equity
Common stock, no par value (stated at $0.005 per share); 200,000,000 shares authorized; issued and outstanding: March 31, 2020 — 122,308,725 shares; September 30, 2019 — 119,338,925 shares	$	612		$	597
Additional paid-in capital	3,986,187			3,712,194
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(112,641		)	(114,583		)
Retained earnings	2,430,257			2,152,015
Shareholders’ equity	6,304,415			5,750,223
Long-term debt	4,328,866			3,529,452
Total capitalization	10,633,281			9,279,675
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	190,088			265,024
Other current liabilities	543,248			479,501
Short-term debt	199,923			464,915
Current maturities of long-term debt	131			—
Total current liabilities	933,390			1,209,440
Deferred income taxes	1,421,779			1,300,015
Regulatory excess deferred taxes	694,433			705,101
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	448,681			473,172
Deferred credits and other liabilities	584,834			400,216
	$	14,716,398		$	13,367,619

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

	Three Months Ended March 31
	2020			2019
	(Unaudited) (In thousands, except per share data)
Operating revenues
Distribution segment	$	933,005		$	1,057,889
Pipeline and storage segment	146,237			135,650
Intersegment eliminations	(101,577		)	(98,894		)
Total operating revenues	977,665			1,094,645
Purchased gas cost
Distribution segment	418,935			570,348
Pipeline and storage segment	202			(90		)
Intersegment eliminations	(101,254		)	(98,582		)
Total purchased gas cost	317,883			471,676
Operation and maintenance expense	147,824			149,427
Depreciation and amortization expense	105,916			96,772
Taxes, other than income	74,604			79,093
Operating income	331,438			297,677
Other non-operating income (expense)	(2,989		)	4,232
Interest charges	22,171			26,949
Income before income taxes	306,278			274,960
Income tax expense	66,632			60,072
Net income	$	239,646		$	214,888
Basic net income per share	$	1.95		$	1.83
Diluted net income per share	$	1.95		$	1.82
Cash dividends per share	$	0.575		$	0.525
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	122,916			117,581
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	122,997			117,756
Net income	$	239,646		$	214,888
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Net unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax of $(49) and $29	(163		)	97
Cash flow hedges:
Amortization and unrealized loss on interest rate agreements, net of tax of $312 and $(825)	1,053			(2,792		)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	890			(2,695		)
Total comprehensive income	$	240,536		$	212,193

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

	Six Months Ended March 31
	2020			2019
	(Unaudited) (In thousands, except per share data)
Operating revenues
Distribution segment	$	1,761,509		$	1,896,724
Pipeline and storage segment	294,413			270,120
Intersegment eliminations	(202,694		)	(194,417		)
Total operating revenues	1,853,228			1,972,427
Purchased gas cost
Distribution segment	816,493			1,008,080
Pipeline and storage segment	301			(448		)
Intersegment eliminations	(202,043		)	(193,791		)
Total purchased gas cost	614,751			813,841
Operation and maintenance expense	300,069			288,027
Depreciation and amortization expense	210,978			192,837
Taxes, other than income	143,211			143,581
Operating income	584,219			534,141
Other non-operating income (expense)	1,898			(3,491		)
Interest charges	49,400			54,798
Income before income taxes	536,717			475,852
Income tax expense	118,398			103,318
Net income	$	418,319		$	372,534
Basic net income per share	$	3.43		$	3.22
Diluted net income per share	$	3.42		$	3.21
Cash dividends per share	$	1.15		$	1.05
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	122,015			115,690
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	122,179			115,794
Net income	$	418,319		$	372,534
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Net unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax of $(49) and $29	(164		)	97
Cash flow hedges:
Amortization and unrealized loss on interest rate agreements, net of tax of $623 and $(7,405)	2,106			(25,050		)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	1,942			(24,953		)
Total comprehensive income	$	420,261		$	347,581

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

	Six Months Ended March 31
	2020			2019
	(Unaudited) (In thousands)
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income	$	418,319		$	372,534
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense	210,978			192,837
Deferred income taxes	110,664			96,885
Other	7,144			5,334
Net assets / liabilities from risk management activities	1,310			(333		)
Net change in operating assets and liabilities	(114,640		)	(106,428		)
Net cash provided by operating activities	633,775			560,829
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	(994,737		)	(777,586		)
Proceeds from the sale of discontinued operations	—			4,000
Debt and equity securities activities, net	(1,131		)	777
Other, net	4,631			4,388
Net cash used in investing activities	(991,237		)	(768,421		)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Net decrease in short-term debt	(264,992		)	(575,780		)
Net proceeds from equity offering	258,047			494,085
Issuance of common stock through stock purchase and employee retirement plans	8,321			10,344
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	799,450			1,045,221
Settlement of interest rate swaps	—			(90,141		)
Repayment of long-term debt	—			(450,000		)
Cash dividends paid	(140,077		)	(120,328		)
Debt issuance costs	(7,738		)	(11,227		)
Net cash provided by financing activities	653,011			302,174
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	295,549			94,582
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,550			13,771
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	320,099		$	108,353

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

March 31, 2020

1.    Nature of Business

Atmos Energy Corporation (“Atmos Energy” or the “Company”) and its subsidiaries are engaged in the regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline and storage businesses. Our distribution business is subject to federal and state regulation and/or regulation by local authorities in each of the states in which our regulated divisions and subsidiaries operate.

Our distribution business delivers natural gas through sales and transportation arrangements to over three million residential, commercial, public authority and industrial customers through our six regulated distribution divisions, which at March 31, 2020, covered service areas located in eight states.

Our pipeline and storage business, which is also subject to federal and state regulations, includes the transportation of natural gas to our Texas and Louisiana distribution systems and the management of our underground storage facilities used to support our distribution business in various states.

2.    Unaudited Financial Information

These consolidated interim-period financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States on the same basis, aside from accounting policy changes noted below, as those used for the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. In the opinion of management, all material adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation have been made to the unaudited consolidated interim-period financial statements. These consolidated interim-period financial statements are condensed as permitted by the instructions to Form 10-Q and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements of Atmos Energy Corporation included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. Because of seasonal and other factors, the results of operations for the six-month period ended March 31, 2020 are not indicative of our results of operations for the full 2020 fiscal year, which ends September 30, 2020.

Except as noted below related to recent ratemaking activity, in Note 7 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements regarding recent financing activity and in Note 11 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements regarding new cash flow hedges, no events have occurred subsequent to the balance sheet date that would require recognition or disclosure in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Significant accounting policies

Our accounting policies are described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

During the second quarter of fiscal 2020, we completed our annual goodwill impairment assessment using a qualitative assessment, as permitted under U.S. GAAP. We test goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit. Based on the assessment performed, we determined that our goodwill was not impaired.

Accounting pronouncements adopted in fiscal 2020

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a comprehensive new leasing standard that requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use (ROU) asset for all leases, including operating leases on its balance sheet. The new standard was effective for us beginning on October 1, 2019. See Note 6 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for further details regarding our adoption of the new lease standard and the related disclosures.

Accounting pronouncements that will be effective after fiscal 2020

In March 2020, the FASB issued optional guidance which will ease the potential burden in accounting for or recognizing the effects of reference rate reform on financial reporting. The amendments provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions affected by the cessation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). The amendments can be elected immediately, as of March 12, 2020, through December 31, 2022. We are currently evaluating if we will apply the optional guidance as we assess the impact of the cessation of LIBOR on our current contracts and hedging relationships and the potential impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

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In December 2019, the FASB issued new guidance related to accounting for income taxes which removes certain exceptions for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intraperiod allocations and calculating income taxes in interim periods. The new standard also adds guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas, such as recognizing deferred taxes for tax goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. The new standard will be effective for us beginning on October 1, 2021; early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of this new guidance on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. 

In June 2016, the FASB issued new guidance which will require credit losses on most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments to be measured using an expected credit loss model. Under this model, entities will estimate credit losses over the entire contractual term of the instrument from the date of initial recognition of that instrument. In contrast, current U.S. GAAP is based on an incurred loss model that delays recognition of credit losses until it is probable the loss has been incurred. The new guidance also introduces a new impairment recognition model for available-for-sale debt securities that will require credit losses to be recorded through an allowance account. The new standard will be effective for us beginning on October 1, 2020. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of this new guidance on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. 

Regulatory assets and liabilities

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States require cost-based, rate-regulated entities that meet certain criteria to reflect the authorized recovery of costs due to regulatory decisions in their financial statements. As a result, certain costs are permitted to be capitalized rather than expensed because they can be recovered through rates. We record certain costs as regulatory assets when future recovery through customer rates is considered probable. Regulatory liabilities are recorded when it is probable that revenues will be reduced for amounts that will be credited to customers through the ratemaking process. Substantially all of our regulatory assets are recorded as a component of deferred charges and other assets and our regulatory liabilities are recorded as a component of other current liabilities and deferred credits and other liabilities. Deferred gas costs are recorded either in other current assets or liabilities and our regulatory excess deferred taxes and regulatory cost of removal obligation are reported separately.

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 included the following:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	80,955	$	86,089
Infrastructure mechanisms(1)	142,075		131,894
Deferred gas costs	—		23,766
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	5,652		6,551
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	27,811		26,418
Rate case costs	2,250		1,346
Other	7,765		8,483
	$	266,508	$	284,547
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes(2)	$	715,807	$	726,307
Regulatory cost of service reserve	3,770		5,238
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	521,319		528,893
Deferred gas costs	115,112		14,112
Asset retirement obligation	17,054		17,054
APT annual adjustment mechanism	68,048		78,402
Other	17,591		16,120
	$	1,458,701	$	1,386,126

(1) Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas and Louisiana allow for the deferral of all eligible expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, including the recording of interest on deferred expenses until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recoverable through base rates.

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(2) The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "TCJA") resulted in the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base. Of this amount, $21.4 million as of March 31, 2020 and $21.2 million as of September 30, 2019 is recorded in other current liabilities. These liabilities are being returned to customers in most of our jurisdictions on a provisional basis over 15 to 46 years until formal orders establish the final refund periods.

Subsequent to March 31, 2020, we have received regulatory orders in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas (including APT) and Virginia to defer into a regulatory asset all expenses, beyond the normal course of business, related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19 or virus), including bad debt expense.

3.    Segment Information

 We manage and review our consolidated operations through the following reportable segments:

• The distribution segment is primarily comprised of our regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states.

• The pipeline and storage segment is comprised primarily of the pipeline and storage operations of our Atmos Pipeline-Texas division and our natural gas transmission operations in Louisiana.

The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Income statements and capital expenditures for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 by segment are presented in the following tables:

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
	Distribution			Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	932,296		$	45,369	$	—		$	977,665
Intersegment revenues	709			100,868		(101,577		)	—
Total operating revenues	933,005			146,237		(101,577		)	977,665
Purchased gas cost	418,935			202		(101,254		)	317,883
Operation and maintenance expense	115,851			32,296		(323		)	147,824
Depreciation and amortization expense	76,265			29,651		—			105,916
Taxes, other than income	68,413			6,191		—			74,604
Operating income	253,541			77,897		—			331,438
Other non-operating income (expense)	(5,191		)	2,202		—			(2,989		)
Interest charges	10,797			11,374		—			22,171
Income before income taxes	237,553			68,725		—			306,278
Income tax expense	50,489			16,143		—			66,632
Net income	$	187,064		$	52,582	$	—		$	239,646
Capital expenditures	$	373,313		$	92,238	$	—		$	465,551

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	Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage			Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	1,057,192	$	37,453		$	—		$	1,094,645
Intersegment revenues	697		98,197			(98,894		)	—
Total operating revenues	1,057,889		135,650			(98,894		)	1,094,645
Purchased gas cost	570,348		(90		)	(98,582		)	471,676
Operation and maintenance expense	117,621		32,118			(312		)	149,427
Depreciation and amortization expense	69,904		26,868			—			96,772
Taxes, other than income	71,053		8,040			—			79,093
Operating income	228,963		68,714			—			297,677
Other non-operating income (expense)	5,263		(1,031		)	—			4,232
Interest charges	15,896		11,053			—			26,949
Income before income taxes	218,330		56,630			—			274,960
Income tax expense	46,137		13,935			—			60,072
Net income	$	172,193	$	42,695		$	—		$	214,888
Capital expenditures	$	293,270	$	67,912		$	—		$	361,182

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	Distribution			Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	1,760,136		$	93,092	$	—		$	1,853,228
Intersegment revenues	1,373			201,321		(202,694		)	—
Total operating revenues	1,761,509			294,413		(202,694		)	1,853,228
Purchased gas cost	816,493			301		(202,043		)	614,751
Operation and maintenance expense	230,203			70,517		(651		)	300,069
Depreciation and amortization expense	152,339			58,639		—			210,978
Taxes, other than income	128,656			14,555		—			143,211
Operating income	433,818			150,401		—			584,219
Other non-operating income (expense)	(3,237		)	5,135		—			1,898
Interest charges	27,159			22,241		—			49,400
Income before income taxes	403,422			133,295		—			536,717
Income tax expense	86,601			31,797		—			118,398
Net income	$	316,821		$	101,498	$	—		$	418,319
Capital expenditures	$	777,560		$	217,177	$	—		$	994,737

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	Six Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution			Pipeline and Storage			Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	1,895,373		$	77,054		$	—		$	1,972,427
Intersegment revenues	1,351			193,066			(194,417		)	—
Total operating revenues	1,896,724			270,120			(194,417		)	1,972,427
Purchased gas cost	1,008,080			(448		)	(193,791		)	813,841
Operation and maintenance expense	223,388			65,265			(626		)	288,027
Depreciation and amortization expense	139,613			53,224			—			192,837
Taxes, other than income	127,243			16,338			—			143,581
Operating income	398,400			135,741			—			534,141
Other non-operating expense	(1,214		)	(2,277		)	—			(3,491		)
Interest charges	34,106			20,692			—			54,798
Income before income taxes	363,080			112,772			—			475,852
Income tax expense	76,502			26,816			—			103,318
Net income	$	286,578		$	85,956		$	—		$	372,534
Capital expenditures	$	595,815		$	181,771		$	—		$	777,586

 

Balance sheet information at March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 by segment is presented in the following tables:

	March 31, 2020
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	9,364,424	$	3,183,816	$	—		$	12,548,240
Total assets	$	13,946,651	$	3,403,106	$	(2,633,359	)	$	14,716,398

	September 30, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	8,737,590	$	3,050,079	$	—		$	11,787,669
Total assets	$	12,579,741	$	3,279,323	$	(2,491,445	)	$	13,367,619

4.    Earnings Per Share

We use the two-class method of computing earnings per share because we have participating securities in the form of non-vested restricted stock units with a nonforfeitable right to dividend equivalents, for which vesting is predicated solely on the passage of time. The calculation of earnings per share using the two-class method excludes income attributable to these participating securities from the numerator and excludes the dilutive impact of those shares from the denominator. Basic weighted average shares outstanding is calculated based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the periods presented. Also, this calculation includes fully vested stock awards that have not yet been issued as common stock. Additionally, the weighted average shares outstanding for diluted EPS includes the incremental effects of the forward sale agreements, discussed in Note 8 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, when the impact is dilutive. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are calculated as follows:

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	Three Months Ended March 31				Six Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019		2020		2019
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Basic Earnings Per Share
Net income	$	239,646	$	214,888	$	418,319	$	372,534
Less: Income allocated to participating securities	178		170		314		301
Income available to common shareholders	$	239,468	$	214,718	$	418,005	$	372,233
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	122,916		117,581		122,015		115,690
Net income per share — Basic	$	1.95	$	1.83	$	3.43	$	3.22
Diluted Earnings Per Share
Income available to common shareholders	$	239,468	$	214,718	$	418,005	$	372,233
Effect of dilutive shares	—		—		—		—
Income available to common shareholders	$	239,468	$	214,718	$	418,005	$	372,233
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	122,916		117,581		122,015		115,690
Dilutive shares	81		175		164		104
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	122,997		117,756		122,179		115,794
Net income per share - Diluted	$	1.95	$	1.82	$	3.42	$	3.21

5.    Revenue

Our revenue recognition policy is fully described in Note 2 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. The following tables disaggregate our revenue from contracts with customers by customer type and segment and provide a reconciliation to total operating revenues, including intersegment revenues, for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020					Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage			Distribution			Pipeline and Storage
	(In thousands)
Gas sales revenues:
Residential	$	596,315	$	—		$	695,827		$	—
Commercial	230,779		—			278,945			—
Industrial	25,628		—			35,887			—
Public authority and other	14,662		—			17,087			—
Total gas sales revenues	867,384		—			1,027,746			—
Transportation revenues	28,504		154,748			27,682			142,270
Miscellaneous revenues	6,986		1,335			7,364			2,773
Revenues from contracts with customers	902,874		156,083			1,062,792			145,043
Alternative revenue program revenues(1)	29,638		(9,846		)	(5,397		)	(9,393		)
Other revenues	493		—			494			—
Total operating revenues	$	933,005	$	146,237		$	1,057,889		$	135,650

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	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020					Six Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage			Distribution			Pipeline and Storage
	(In thousands)
Gas sales revenues:
Residential	$	1,148,391	$	—		$	1,243,755		$	—
Commercial	442,093		—			497,883			—
Industrial	50,553		—			70,424			—
Public authority and other	27,684		—			30,372			—
Total gas sales revenues	1,668,721		—			1,842,434			—
Transportation revenues	55,144		306,758			53,082			289,694
Miscellaneous revenues	13,772		6,490			14,314			4,455
Revenues from contracts with customers	1,737,637		313,248			1,909,830			294,149
Alternative revenue program revenues(1)	22,887		(18,835		)	(14,136		)	(24,029		)
Other revenues	985		—			1,030			—
Total operating revenues	$	1,761,509	$	294,413		$	1,896,724		$	270,120

(1) In our distribution segment, we have weather-normalization adjustment mechanisms that serve to minimize the effects of weather on our revenue. Additionally, APT has a regulatory mechanism that requires that we share with its tariffed customers 75% of the difference between the total non-tariffed revenues earned during a test period and a revenue benchmark.

6. Leases

We adopted the provisions of the new lease accounting standard beginning on October 1, 2019, using the optional transition method, which allows us to apply the provisions of the new standard to all leases that existed as of the date of adoption. Therefore, results for reporting periods beginning on October 1, 2019 are presented under the new lease accounting standard and prior periods are presented under the former lease accounting standard.

The new guidance included several practical expedients to facilitate the implementation of the new standard. The following summarizes the practical expedients we used to implement the standard.

• We elected to bundle our lease and non-lease components as a single component for all asset classes.

• We elected not to perform the following:

◦ Evaluate existing or expired land easements prior to October 1, 2019 to determine if they are leases.

◦ Include short-term leases in the calculation of our lease liability.

◦ Evaluate existing or expired contracts to determine if they are leases.

◦ Assess lease classification for existing or expired leases.

◦ Review initial direct costs for existing leases.

◦ Use hindsight in order to determine the lease term or impairment of our ROU assets.

Upon adoption of this new guidance, we recorded ROU assets and lease liabilities of $231.3 million. Additionally, we reclassified a net $6.5 million of accrued and prepaid lease costs to the ROU asset and $2.5 million related to an existing finance lease from deferred credits and other liabilities to long-term debt.

Implementation of the new lease accounting guidance had no material impact on our condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income or our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. Additionally, we did not record a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings on the opening balance sheet.

New Lease Accounting Policy

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at the inception of the agreement based on the terms and conditions in the contract. A contract contains a lease if there is an identified asset and we have the right to control the asset. We are the lessee for substantially all of our leasing activity, which primarily includes operating leases for office and warehouse space, tower space, vehicles and heavy equipment used in our operations. We are also a lessee in finance leases for service centers.

We record a lease liability and a corresponding ROU asset for all of our leases with a term greater than 12 months. For lease contracts containing renewal and termination options, we include the option period in the lease term when it is reasonably certain the option will be exercised. We most frequently assume renewal options at the inception of the arrangement for our

13

tower and fleet leases, based on our anticipated use of the assets. Real estate leases that contain a renewal option are evaluated on a lease-by-lease basis to determine if the option period should be included in the lease term. Currently, we have not included material renewal options for real estate leases in our ROU asset or lease liability. The following table presents our weighted average remaining lease term for our leases.

	March 31, 2020
Weighted average remaining lease term (years)
Finance leases	19.45
Operating leases	10.72

The lease liability represents the present value of all lease payments over the lease term. The discount rate used to determine the present value of the lease liability is the rate implicit in the lease unless that rate cannot be readily determined. We use the implicit rate stated in the agreement to determine the lease liability for our fleet leases. We use our corporate collateralized incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate for all other lease agreements. This rate is appropriate because we believe it represents the rate we would have incurred to borrow funds to acquire the leased asset over a similar term. We calculated this rate using a combination of inputs, including our current credit rating, quoted market prices of interest rates for our publicly traded unsecured debt, observable market yield curve data for peer companies with a credit rating one notch higher than our current credit rating and the lease term.

The following table represents our weighted average discount rate at March 31, 2020:

	March 31, 2020
Weighted average discount rate
Finance leases	6.95	%
Operating leases	2.92	%

The ROU asset represents the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term, and is equal to the lease liability, adjusted for prepaid or accrued lease payments and any lease incentives that have been paid to us or when we are reasonably certain to incur costs equal to or greater than the allowance defined in the contract.

Variable payments included in our leasing arrangements are expensed in the period in which the obligation for these payments is incurred. Variable payments are dependent on usage, output or may vary for other reasons. Most of our variable lease expense is related to tower leases that have escalating payments based on changes to a stated CPI index, and usage of certain office equipment.

We have not provided material residual value guarantees for our leases, nor do our leases contain material restrictions or covenants.

Lease costs for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 are presented in the table below. These costs include both amounts recognized in expense and amounts capitalized. For the three and six months ended March 31, 2020, we did not have material short-term lease costs or variable lease costs.

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020		Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Finance lease cost	$	105	$	178
Operating lease cost	10,166		20,091
Total lease cost	$	10,271	$	20,269

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Our ROU assets and lease liabilities are presented as follows on the condensed consolidated balance sheets (unaudited):

	Balance Sheet Classification	March 31, 2020
		(In thousands)
Assets
Finance leases	Net Property, Plant and Equipment	$	6,631
Operating leases	Deferred charges and other assets	222,653
Total right-of-use assets		$	229,284
Liabilities
Current
Finance leases	Current maturities of long-term debt	$	131
Operating leases	Other current liabilities	31,482
Noncurrent
Finance leases	Long-term debt	6,535
Operating leases	Deferred credits and other liabilities	199,563
Total lease liabilities		$	237,711

Other pertinent information related to leases was as follows. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, amounts paid in cash for our finance leases were not material.

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Cash paid amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
Operating cash flows used for operating leases	$	18,223
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations
Finance leases	$	4,150
Operating leases	$	13,854

Maturities of our lease liabilities as of March 31, 2020, presented on a rolling 12-month basis, were as follows:

	Total		Finance Leases		Operating Leases
	(In thousands)
Year 1	$	36,723	$	516	$	36,207
Year 2	37,066		526		36,540
Year 3	32,468		536		31,932
Year 4	27,244		547		26,697
Year 5	17,088		558		16,530
Thereafter	133,876		9,335		124,541
Total lease payments	284,465		12,018		272,447
Less: Imputed interest	46,754		5,352		41,402
Total	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045
Reported as of March 31, 2020
Short-term lease liabilities	$	31,613	$	131	$	31,482
Long-term lease liabilities	206,098		6,535		199,563
Total lease liabilities	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045

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Disclosures Related to Prior Periods

The future minimum lease payments as of September 30, 2019 were as follows:

	Operating Leases(1)		Capital Lease
	(In thousands)
2020	$	21,017	$	243
2021	20,416		248
2022	19,370		253
2023	18,071		258
2024	15,718		263
Thereafter	105,544		4,343
Total minimum lease payments	$	200,136	5,608
Less amount representing interest			3,018
Present value of net minimum lease payments			$	2,590

(1) Future minimum lease payments do not include amounts for fleet leases and other de minimis items that can be renewed beyond the initial lease term. The Company anticipates renewing the leases beyond the initial term, but the anticipated payments associated with the renewals do not meet the definition of expected minimum lease payments and therefore are not included above. Expected payments are $17.6 million in 2020, $18.0 million in 2021, $11.8 million in 2022, $8.5 million in 2023, $5.4 million 2024 and $2.7 million thereafter.

Consolidated lease and rental expense for the three and six months ended March 31, 2019 was $10.3 million and $20.3 million.

7.    Debt

The nature and terms of our debt instruments and credit facilities are described in detail in Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. Other than as described below, there were no material changes in the terms of our debt instruments during the six months ended March 31, 2020.

Long-term debt at March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 consisted of the following:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Unsecured 3.00% Senior Notes, due 2027	$	500,000	$	500,000
Unsecured 2.625% Senior Notes, due 2029	300,000		—
Unsecured 5.95% Senior Notes, due 2034	200,000		200,000
Unsecured 5.50% Senior Notes, due 2041	400,000		400,000
Unsecured 4.15% Senior Notes, due 2043	500,000		500,000
Unsecured 4.125% Senior Notes, due 2044	750,000		750,000
Unsecured 4.30% Senior Notes, due 2048	600,000		600,000
Unsecured 4.125% Senior Notes, due 2049	450,000		450,000
Unsecured 3.375% Senior Notes, due 2049	500,000		—
Medium-term note Series A, 1995-1, 6.67%, due 2025	10,000		10,000
Unsecured 6.75% Debentures, due 2028	150,000		150,000
Finance lease obligations (see Note 6)	6,666		—
Total long-term debt	4,366,666		3,560,000
Less:
Original issue (premium) / discount on unsecured senior notes and debentures	663		193
Debt issuance cost	37,006		30,355
Current maturities	131		—
	$	4,328,866	$	3,529,452

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On April 9, 2020, we entered into a two year, $200 million term loan agreement. Borrowings under the term loan may be repaid on or after April 9, 2021 and will bear interest at a rate of LIBOR plus 1.25 percent. The term loan was used to pay down all of our outstanding commercial paper.

On October 2, 2019, we completed a public offering of $300 million of 2.625% senior notes due 2029 and $500 million of 3.375% senior notes due 2049. We received net proceeds from the offering, after the underwriting discount and offering expenses, of $791.7 million, that were used for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of borrowings pursuant to our commercial paper program. The effective interest rate on these notes is 2.72% and 3.42%, after giving effect to the offering costs.

Short-term debt

We utilize short-term debt to 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 with an equity-to-total-capitalization ratio between 50% and 60%, inclusive of long-term and short-term debt. Our short-term borrowing requirements are driven primarily by construction work in progress and the seasonal nature of the natural gas business. Changes in the price of natural gas and the amount of natural gas we need to supply our customers’ needs could significantly affect our borrowing requirements. Our short-term borrowings typically reach their highest levels in the winter months.

As of March 31, 2020, our short-term borrowing requirements were satisfied through a combination of a $1.5 billion commercial paper program and three committed revolving credit facilities with third-party lenders that provide approximately $1.5 billion of total working capital funding.

The primary source of our funding is our commercial paper program, which is supported by a five-year unsecured $1.5 billion credit facility that expires on September 25, 2023. The facility bears interest at a base rate or at a LIBOR-based rate for the applicable interest period, plus a margin ranging from zero percent to 1.25 percent, based on the Company’s credit ratings. Additionally, the facility contains a $250 million accordion feature, which provides the opportunity to increase the total committed loan to $1.75 billion. At March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, a total of $199.9 million and $464.9 million was outstanding under our commercial paper program.

Additionally, we had a $25 million 364-day unsecured facility that was available to provide working capital funding. There were no borrowings outstanding under this facility as of March 31, 2020. This facility was renewed effective April 1, 2020 and was increased to $50 million.

Finally, we had a $10 million 364-day unsecured revolving credit facility, which was used primarily to issue letters of credit. At March 31, 2020, there were no borrowings outstanding under the facility; however, outstanding letters of credit reduced the total amount available to us under our $10 million facility to $4.4 million. On April 30, 2020, we executed a new $50 million 364-day unsecured revolving credit facility which replaced this facility.

On April 23, 2020, we executed a new $600 million 364-day unsecured revolving credit facility to provide additional working capital funding. The facility bears interest at a base rate or at a LIBOR-based rate for the applicable interest period, plus a margin ranging from zero percent to 1.25 percent, based on the Company's credit ratings.

Following the completion of the new facilities and the amendment to our existing facility in April 2020, our short term borrowing requirements are now satisfied through a combination of a $1.5 billion commercial paper program and four committed revolving credit facilities with third-party lenders that provide approximately $2.2 billion of total working capital funding.

Debt covenants

The availability of funds under these credit facilities is subject to conditions specified in the respective credit agreements, all of which we currently satisfy. These conditions include our compliance with financial covenants and the continued accuracy of representations and warranties contained in these agreements. We are required by the financial covenants in each of these facilities to maintain, at the end of each fiscal quarter, a ratio of total-debt-to-total-capitalization of no greater than 70 percent. At March 31, 2020, our total-debt-to-total-capitalization ratio, as defined in the agreements, was 44 percent. In addition, both the interest margin and the fee that we pay on unused amounts under certain of these facilities are subject to adjustment depending upon our credit ratings.

These credit facilities and our public indentures contain usual and customary covenants for our business, including covenants substantially limiting liens, substantial asset sales and mergers. Additionally, our public debt indentures relating to our senior notes and debentures, as well as certain of our revolving credit agreements, each contain a default provision that is triggered if outstanding indebtedness arising out of any other credit agreements in amounts ranging from in excess of $15 million to in excess of $100 million becomes due by acceleration or if not paid at maturity. We were in compliance with all of

17

our debt covenants as of March 31, 2020. If we were unable to comply with our debt covenants, we would likely be required to repay our outstanding balances on demand, provide additional collateral or take other corrective actions.

8.    Shareholders' Equity

The following tables present a reconciliation of changes in stockholders' equity for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

	Common stock			Additional Paid-in Capital		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Retained Earnings			Total
	Number of Shares	Stated Value
	(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Balance, September 30, 2019	119,338,925	$	597	$	3,712,194	$	(114,583	)	$	2,152,015		$	5,750,223
Net income	—	—		—		—			178,673			178,673
Other comprehensive income	—	—		—		1,052			—			1,052
Cash dividends ($0.575 per share)	—	—		—		—			(69,557		)	(69,557		)
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	2,758,929	13		263,259		—			—			263,272
Stock-based compensation plans	164,549	1		4,111		—			—			4,112
Balance, December 31, 2019	122,262,403	611		3,979,564		(113,531		)	2,261,131			6,127,775
Net income	—	—		—		—			239,646			239,646
Other comprehensive income	—	—		—		890			—			890
Cash dividends ($0.575 per share)	—	—		—		—			(70,520		)	(70,520		)
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	38,662	1		3,095		—			—			3,096
Stock-based compensation plans	7,660	—		3,528		—			—			3,528
Balance, March 31, 2020	122,308,725	$	612	$	3,986,187	$	(112,641	)	$	2,430,257		$	6,304,415

	Common stock			Additional Paid-in Capital		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Retained Earnings			Total
	Number of Shares	Stated Value
	(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Balance, September 30, 2018	111,273,683	$	556	$	2,974,926	$	(83,647	)	$	1,878,116		$	4,769,951
Net income	—	—		—		—			157,646			157,646
Other comprehensive loss	—	—		—		(22,258		)	—			(22,258		)
Cash dividends ($0.525 per share)	—	—		—		—			(58,722		)	(58,722		)
Cumulative effect of accounting change	—	—		—		(8,210		)	8,210			—
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	5,434,812	27		498,948		—			—			498,975
Stock-based compensation plans	184,464	1		2,602		—			—			2,603
Balance, December 31, 2018	116,892,959	584		3,476,476		(114,115		)	1,985,250			5,348,195
Net income	—	—		—		—			214,888			214,888
Other comprehensive loss	—	—		—		(2,695		)	—			(2,695		)
Cash dividends ($0.525 per share)	—	—		—		—			(61,606		)	(61,606		)
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	61,006	1		5,453		—			—			5,454
Stock-based compensation plans	28,938	—		3,865		—			—			3,865
Balance, March 31, 2019	116,982,903	$	585	$	3,485,794	$	(116,810	)	$	2,138,532		$	5,508,101

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Shelf Registration, At-the-Market Equity Sales Program and Equity Issuances

On February 11, 2020, we filed a shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that allows us to issue up to $4.0 billion in common stock and/or debt securities, which expires February 11, 2023. This shelf registration statement replaced our previous shelf registration statement which was filed on November 13, 2018 (2018 Registration Statement). At March 31, 2020, approximately $3.0 billion of securities remained available for issuance under the shelf registration statement.

On February 12, 2020, we filed a prospectus supplement under the shelf registration statement relating to an at-the-market (ATM) equity sales program (February 2020 ATM) under which we may 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 concurrently with the ATM equity sales program). This ATM equity sales program replaced our previous ATM equity sales program, filed on November 19, 2018 (November 2018 ATM), which was exhausted during the second quarter with the execution of forward sales.

During the six months ended March 31, 2020, we executed forward sales under the February 2020 ATM and the November 2018 ATM equity sales programs with various forward sellers who borrowed and sold 1,890,857 shares of our common stock at an aggregate price of $219.9 million. Additionally, during the six months ended March 31, 2020, we settled forward sale agreements with respect to 2,234,871 shares that had been borrowed and sold by various forward sellers during fiscal 2019 under the November 2018 ATM for net proceeds of $213.6 million. As of March 31, 2020, the February 2020 ATM program had approximately $855 million of equity available for issuance.

On November 30, 2018, we filed a prospectus supplement under the 2018 Registration Statement relating to an underwriting agreement to sell 5,390,836 shares of our common stock for $500 million. After expenses, net proceeds from the offering were $494.1 million. Concurrently, we entered into separate forward sales agreements with two forward sellers who borrowed and sold 2,668,464 shares of our common stock at an aggregate price of $247.5 million. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, we settled the remaining 485,189 shares under these forward sale agreements for net proceeds of $44.4 million.

During the six months ended March 31, 2019, we executed forward sales under the November 2018 ATM with various forward sellers who borrowed and sold 1,670,509 shares of our common stock at a weighted average price of $95.46 per share.

If we had settled all shares that remain available under our outstanding forward sale agreements as of March 31, 2020, we would have received proceeds of $418.6 million, based on a net price of $110.13 per share. Additional details are presented below.

Issue Quarter	Issued Under	Shares Available	Net Proceeds Available (In thousands)		Maturity	Forward Price
June 30, 2019	ATM	486,201	$	48,819	9/30/2020	$	100.41
September 30, 2019	ATM	1,423,599	153,426		9/30/2020	$	107.77
December 31, 2019	ATM	339,574	36,218		9/30/2020	$	106.66
March 31, 2020	ATM	1,551,283	180,117		9/30/2020 3/31/2021	$	116.11
Total		3,800,657	$	418,580

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

We record deferred gains (losses) in AOCI related to available-for-sale debt securities and interest rate agreement cash flow hedges. Deferred gains (losses) for our available-for-sale debt securities are recognized in earnings upon settlement, while deferred gains (losses) related to our interest rate agreement cash flow hedges are recognized in earnings as they are amortized. The following tables provide the components of our accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) balances, net of the related tax effects allocated to each component of other comprehensive income (loss).

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	Available- for-Sale Securities			Interest Rate Agreement Cash Flow Hedges			Total
	(In thousands)
September 30, 2019	$	132		$	(114,715	)	$	(114,583	)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications	(163		)	—			(163		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	(1		)	2,106			2,105
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	(164		)	2,106			1,942
March 31, 2020	$	(32	)	$	(112,609	)	$	(112,641	)

	Available- for-Sale Securities			Interest Rate Agreement Cash Flow Hedges			Total
	(In thousands)
September 30, 2018	$	8,124		$	(91,771	)	$	(83,647	)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	97			(25,966		)	(25,869		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—			916			916
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	97			(25,050		)	(24,953		)
Cumulative effect of accounting change	(8,210		)	—			(8,210		)
March 31, 2019	$	11		$	(116,821	)	$	(116,810	)

9.     Interim Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Information

The components of our net periodic pension cost for our pension and other postretirement benefit plans for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are presented in the following tables. Most of these costs are recoverable through our tariff rates. A portion of these costs is capitalized into our rate base or deferred as a regulatory asset or liability. The remaining costs are recorded as a component of operation and maintenance expense or other non-operating expense.

	Three Months Ended March 31
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2020			2019			2020			2019
	(In thousands)
Components of net periodic pension cost:
Service cost	$	4,652		$	4,045		$	3,366		$	2,703
Interest cost(1)	5,843			6,801			2,653			2,958
Expected return on assets(1)	(7,079		)	(7,113		)	(2,625		)	(2,665		)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)(1)	(58		)	(58		)	43			44
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss(1)	3,242			1,607			(334		)	(2,044		)
Net periodic pension cost	$	6,600		$	5,282		$	3,103		$	996

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	Six Months Ended March 31
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2020			2019			2020			2019
	(In thousands)
Components of net periodic pension cost:
Service cost	$	9,305		$	8,090		$	6,733		$	5,405
Interest cost(1)	11,686			13,600			5,306			5,919
Expected return on assets(1)	(14,158		)	(14,226		)	(5,249		)	(5,330		)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)(1)	(116		)	(116		)	87			87
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss(1)	6,483			3,215			(669		)	(4,089		)
Net periodic pension cost	$	13,200		$	10,563		$	6,208		$	1,992

(1) The components of net periodic cost other than the service cost component are included in the line item other non-operating expense in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income or are capitalized on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as a regulatory asset or liability, as described in Note 2 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

The amount of funding required for our defined benefit plan is determined in accordance with the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) and is influenced by the funded position of the plan when the funding requirements are determined on January 1 of each year. Based upon the determination as of January 1, 2020, we are not required to make a minimum contribution to our defined benefit plan during fiscal 2020. However, we may consider whether a voluntary contribution is prudent to maintain certain funding levels.

For the six months ended March 31, 2020 we contributed $7.4 million to our postretirement medical plans. We anticipate contributing a total of between $10 million and $20 million to our postretirement plans during fiscal 2020.

10.    Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation and Environmental Matters

In the normal course of business, we are subject to various legal and regulatory proceedings. For such matters, we record liabilities when they are considered probable and estimable, based on currently available facts, our historical experience and our estimates of the ultimate outcome or resolution of the liability in the future. While the outcome of these proceedings is uncertain and a loss in excess of the amount we have accrued is possible though not reasonably estimable, it is the opinion of management that any amounts exceeding the accruals will not have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

We maintain liability insurance for various risks associated with the operation of our natural gas pipelines and facilities, including for property damage and bodily injury. These liability insurance policies generally require us to be responsible for the first $1.0 million (self-insured retention) of each incident.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating an incident that occurred at a Dallas, Texas residence on February 23, 2018 that resulted in one fatality and injuries to four other residents. Together with the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Atmos Energy is a party to the investigation and in that capacity is working closely with the NTSB to help determine the cause of this incident.

We are a party to various other litigation and environmental-related matters or claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of our business. While the results of such litigation and response actions to such environmental-related matters or claims cannot be predicted with certainty, we continue to believe the final outcome of such litigation and matters or claims will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Purchase Commitments

Our distribution divisions 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 the individual contract.

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 prices indexed to natural gas hubs. These purchase commitment contracts are detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. At March 31, 2020, we were committed to purchase 44.1 Bcf within one year, 61.5 Bcf within two to three years and 3.4 Bcf beyond three years under indexed contracts.

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Rate Regulatory Proceedings

As of March 31, 2020, routine rate regulatory proceedings were in progress in several of our service areas, which are discussed in further detail below in Management’s Discussion and Analysis — Recent Ratemaking Developments. Except for these proceedings, there were no material changes to rate regulatory proceedings for the six months ended March 31, 2020.

11.    Financial Instruments

We currently use financial instruments to mitigate commodity price risk and periodically to mitigate interest rate risk. The objectives and strategies for using financial instruments and the related accounting for these financial instruments are fully described in Notes 2 and 14 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, there were no material changes in our objectives, strategies and accounting for using financial instruments. Our financial instruments do not contain any credit-risk-related or other contingent features that could cause payments to be accelerated when our financial instruments are in net liability positions. The following summarizes those objectives and strategies.

Commodity Risk Management Activities

Our purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms essentially insulate our distribution segment from commodity price risk; however, our customers are exposed to the effects of volatile natural gas prices. We manage this exposure through a combination of physical storage, fixed-price forward contracts and financial instruments, primarily over-the-counter swap and option contracts, in an effort to minimize the impact of natural gas price volatility on our customers during the winter heating season.

We typically seek to hedge between 25 and 50 percent of anticipated heating season gas purchases using financial instruments. For the 2019-2020 heating season (generally October through March), in the jurisdictions where we are permitted to utilize financial instruments, we hedged approximately 49 percent, or 19.9 Bcf of the winter flowing gas requirements. We have not designated these financial instruments as hedges for accounting purposes.

Interest Rate Risk Management Activities

We manage interest rate risk by periodically entering into financial instruments to effectively fix the Treasury yield component of the interest cost associated with anticipated financings.

In April 2020, we entered into forward starting interest rate swaps to effectively fix the Treasury yield component associated with $500 million of a planned issuance of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2021 at 0.69% and $450 million of a planned issuance of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2022 at 1.33%, which we designated as cash flow hedges at the time the agreements were executed. Accordingly, unrealized gains and losses associated with the forward starting interest rate swaps will be recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). When the forward starting interest rate swaps settle, the realized gain or loss will be recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and recognized as a component of interest charges over the life of the related financing arrangement. Hedge ineffectiveness to the extent incurred, will be reported as a component of interest charges.

As of March 31, 2020, we had $112.6 million of net realized losses in AOCI associated with the settlement of financial instruments used to fix the Treasury yield component of the interest cost of financing various issuances of long-term debt and senior notes, which will be recognized as a component of interest charges over the life of the associated notes from the date of settlement. The remaining amortization periods for these settled amounts extend through fiscal 2049.

Quantitative Disclosures Related to Financial Instruments

The following tables present detailed information concerning the impact of financial instruments on our condensed consolidated balance sheet and statements of comprehensive income.

As of March 31, 2020, our financial instruments were comprised of both long and short commodity positions. A long position is a contract to purchase the commodity, while a short position is a contract to sell the commodity. As of March 31, 2020, we had 4,510 MMcf of net long commodity contracts outstanding. These contracts have not been designated as hedges.

Financial Instruments on the Balance Sheet

The following tables present the fair value and balance sheet classification of our financial instruments as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019. The gross amounts of recognized assets and liabilities are netted within our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets to the extent that we have netting arrangements with our counterparties. However, for March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, no gross amounts and no cash collateral were netted within our consolidated balance sheet.

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	Balance Sheet Location	Assets		Liabilities
		(In thousands)
March 31, 2020
Not Designated As Hedges:
Commodity contracts	Other current assets / Other current liabilities	$	880	$	(1,714	)
Commodity contracts	Deferred charges and other assets / Deferred credits and other liabilities	2		—
Total		882		(1,714		)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments		$	882	$	(1,714	)

	Balance Sheet Location	Assets		Liabilities
		(In thousands)
September 30, 2019
Not Designated As Hedges:
Commodity contracts	Other current assets / Other current liabilities	$	1,586	$	(4,552	)
Commodity contracts	Deferred charges and other assets / Deferred credits and other liabilities	225		(1,249		)
Total		1,811		(5,801		)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments		$	1,811	$	(5,801	)

 

Impact of Financial Instruments on the Statement of Comprehensive Income

Cash Flow Hedges

As discussed above, in the past our distribution segment had interest rate agreements, which we designated as cash flow hedges at the time the agreements were executed. The net loss on settled interest rate agreements reclassified from AOCI into interest charges on our condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 was $1.4 million and $0.6 million and for the six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 was $2.7 million and $1.2 million.

The following table summarizes the gains and losses arising from hedging transactions that were recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes, for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. The amounts included in the table below exclude gains and losses arising from ineffectiveness because those amounts are immediately recognized in the statement of comprehensive income as incurred.

	Three Months Ended March 31					Six Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019			2020		2019
	(In thousands)
Increase (decrease) in fair value:
Interest rate agreements	$	—	$	(3,250	)	$	—	$	(25,966	)
Recognition of losses in earnings due to settlements:
Interest rate agreements	1,053		458			2,106		916
Total other comprehensive income (loss) from hedging, net of tax	$	1,053	$	(2,792	)	$	2,106	$	(25,050	)

Deferred gains (losses) recorded in AOCI associated with our interest rate agreements are recognized in earnings as they are amortized over the terms of the underlying debt instruments. The following amounts, net of deferred taxes, represent the expected recognition in earnings, as of March 31, 2020, of the deferred losses recorded in AOCI associated with our financial instruments, based upon the fair values of these financial instruments at the date of settlement.

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	Interest Rate Agreements
	(In thousands)
Next twelve months	$	(4,212	)
Thereafter	(108,397		)
Total	$	(112,609	)

Financial Instruments Not Designated as Hedges

As discussed above, commodity contracts which are used in our distribution segment are not designated as hedges. However, there is no earnings impact on our distribution segment as a result of the use of these financial instruments because the gains and losses arising from the use of these financial instruments are recognized in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as a component of purchased gas cost when the related costs are recovered through our rates and recognized in revenue. Accordingly, the impact of these financial instruments is excluded from this presentation.

12.    Fair Value Measurements

We report certain assets and liabilities at fair value, which is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). We record cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable at carrying value, which substantially approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. For other financial assets and liabilities, we primarily use quoted market prices and other observable market pricing information to minimize the use of unobservable pricing inputs in our measurements when determining fair value. The methods used to determine fair value for our assets and liabilities are fully described in Note 2 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, there were no changes in these methods.

Fair value measurements also apply to the valuation of our pension and postretirement plan assets. Current accounting guidance requires employers to annually disclose information about fair value measurements of the assets of a defined benefit pension or other postretirement plan. The fair value of these assets is presented in Note 8 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Quantitative Disclosures

Financial Instruments

The classification of our fair value measurements requires judgment regarding the degree to which market data is observable or corroborated by observable market data. Authoritative accounting literature establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value based on observable and unobservable data. The hierarchy categorizes the inputs into three levels, with the highest priority given to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1), with the lowest priority given to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The following tables summarize, by level within the fair value hierarchy, our assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019. Assets and liabilities are categorized in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

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	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)(1)		Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Netting and Cash Collateral		March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	882	$	—	$	—	$	882
Debt and equity securities
Registered investment companies	35,839		—		—		—		35,839
Bond mutual funds	25,905		—		—		—		25,905
Bonds(2)	—		32,520		—		—		32,520
Money market funds	—		1,815		—		—		1,815
Total debt and equity securities	61,744		34,335		—		—		96,079
Total assets	$	61,744	$	35,217	$	—	$	—	$	96,961
Liabilities:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	1,714	$	—	$	—	$	1,714

	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)(1)		Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Netting and Cash Collateral		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	1,811	$	—	$	—	$	1,811
Debt and equity securities
Registered investment companies	41,406		—		—		—		41,406
Bond mutual funds	25,966		—		—		—		25,966
Bonds(2)	—		31,915		—		—		31,915
Money market funds	—		2,596		—		—		2,596
Total debt and equity securities	67,372		34,511		—		—		101,883
Total assets	$	67,372	$	36,322	$	—	$	—	$	103,694
Liabilities:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	5,801	$	—	$	—	$	5,801

(1) Our Level 2 measurements consist of over-the-counter options and swaps, which are valued using a market-based approach in which observable market prices are adjusted for criteria specific to each instrument, such as the strike price, notional amount or basis differences, municipal and corporate bonds, which are valued based on the most recent available quoted market prices and money market funds that are valued at cost.

(2) Our investments in bonds are considered available-for-sale debt securities in accordance with current accounting guidance.

Debt and equity securities are comprised of our available-for-sale debt securities and our equity securities. We regularly evaluate the performance of our available-for-sale debt securities on an investment by investment basis for impairment, taking into consideration the investment’s purpose, volatility and current returns. If a determination is made that a decline in fair value is other than temporary, the related investment is written down to its estimated fair value and the other-than-temporary impairment is recognized in the statement of comprehensive income. At March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, the amortized cost of our available-for-sale debt securities was $32.6 million and $31.7 million. At March 31, 2020, we maintained investments in bonds that have contractual maturity dates ranging from April 2020 through September 2022.

Other Fair Value Measures

Our long-term debt is recorded at carrying value. The fair value of our long-term debt, excluding finance leases, is determined using third party market value quotations, which are considered Level 1 fair value measurements for debt instruments with a recent, observable trade or Level 2 fair value measurements for debt instruments where fair value is determined using the most recent available quoted market price. The carrying value of our finance leases materially

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approximates fair value. The following table presents the carrying value and fair value of our long-term debt, excluding finance leases, as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Carrying Amount	$	4,360,000	$	3,560,000
Fair Value	$	4,863,851	$	4,216,249

13.    Concentration of Credit Risk

Information regarding our concentration of credit risk is disclosed in Note 17 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, there were no material changes in our concentration of credit risk.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Atmos Energy Corporation

Results of Review of Interim Financial Statements

We have reviewed the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet of Atmos Energy Corporation (the Company) as of March 31, 2020, the related condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "condensed consolidated interim financial statements"). Based on our reviews, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the condensed consolidated interim financial statements for them to be in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We have previously audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of September 30, 2019, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then ended, and the related notes and schedule (not presented herein); and in our report dated November 12, 2019, we expressed an unqualified audit opinion on those consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2019, is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived.

Basis for Review Results

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and the PCAOB. We conducted our review in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. A review of interim financial statements consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

/s/    ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Dallas, Texas

May 6, 2020

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

INTRODUCTION

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Management’s Discussion and Analysis in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2019.

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

The statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 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: the outbreak of COVID-19 and its impact on business and economic conditions; 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 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; the availability and accessibility of contracted gas supplies, interstate pipeline and/or storage services; increased competition from energy suppliers and alternative forms of energy; adverse weather conditions; increased costs of providing health care benefits, along with pension and postretirement health care benefits and increased funding requirements; the inability to continue to hire, train and retain operational, technical and managerial personnel; the impact of climate change; the impact of greenhouse gas emissions or other legislation or regulations intended to address climate change; 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; 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. 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.

OVERVIEW

Atmos Energy and our subsidiaries are engaged in the regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline and storage businesses. We distribute natural gas through sales and transportation arrangements to over three million residential, commercial, public authority and industrial customers throughout our six distribution divisions, which at March 31, 2020 covered service areas located in eight states. In addition, we transport natural gas for others through our distribution and pipeline systems.

We manage and review our consolidated operations through the following reportable segments:

• The distribution segment is primarily comprised of our regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states.

• The pipeline and storage segment is comprised primarily of the pipeline and storage operations of our Atmos Pipeline-Texas division and our natural gas transmission operations in Louisiana.

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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND POLICIES

Our condensed 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 based our estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to the allowance for doubtful accounts, legal and environmental accruals, insurance accruals, pension and postretirement obligations, deferred income taxes and the valuation of goodwill and other long-lived assets. Actual results may differ from such estimates.

Our critical accounting policies used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 and include the following:

• Regulation

• Unbilled revenue

• Pension and other postretirement plans

• Impairment assessments

Our critical accounting policies are reviewed periodically by the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. There were no significant changes to these critical accounting policies during the six months ended March 31, 2020.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Executive Summary

Atmos Energy strives to operate our 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.

During the six months ended March 31, 2020, we recorded net income of $418.3 million, or $3.42 per diluted share, compared to net income of $372.5 million, or $3.21 per diluted share for the six months ended March 31, 2019. The period-over-period increase in net income of $45.8 million, or 12 percent, largely reflects positive rate outcomes and customer growth in our distribution business. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, we implemented ratemaking regulatory actions which resulted in an increase in annual operating income of $59.2 million and had thirteen ratemaking efforts in progress at March 31, 2020, seeking a total increase in annual operating income of $219.3 million.

Capital expenditures for the six months ended March 31, 2020 increased 28 percent period over period, to $994.7 million. Over 80 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 lag to six months or less. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, we completed the public offering of $300 million of 10-year senior notes and $500 million of 30-year senior notes and received net proceeds of $791.7 million. We also received net proceeds from the settlement of certain equity forward sale agreements of $258.0 million during the first six months of 2020.

As a result of our sustained financial performance, improved cash flows and capital structure, our Board of Directors increased the quarterly dividend by 9.5 percent for fiscal 2020.

COVID-19 Impact

Beginning in January 2020, there has been an outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19 or virus), which has been declared a “pandemic” by the World Health Organization. During this time, we continue to provide essential services to ensure the safety and functionality of our critical infrastructure. These activities include essential service orders, third party damage prevention activities, compliance work and substantially all construction activities. As we perform these activities, we are taking precautions to provide a safe work environment for employees and customers. Our employees are practicing social distancing guidelines, wearing face coverings while working in our communities and working in smaller construction crews. We have also established a remote working protocol where possible and have suspended employee travel. Currently, approximately 95 percent of our employees are working remotely.

To protect and support our customers we have implemented customer screening precautions and have safely limited when service technicians will be in customer homes and businesses. And, we have temporarily suspended disconnects for non-payment and waived late payment fees and certain reconnect fees.

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For the six months ended March 31, 2020, the pandemic did not have a material impact on our operational and financial performance because mitigation efforts to contain the spread of the virus were implemented in our service territories during the last two weeks of the quarter.

Approximately 70 percent of our distribution segment's fiscal year revenues are earned during the first two fiscal quarters. In our distribution segment, approximately 60 percent of our revenues from April through September relate to our residential customers and 40 percent relate to non-residential customers including commercial, industrial and transportation. Our rate design allows us to recover approximately 59 percent of our distribution segment revenue, excluding gas costs, through the base customer charge, which partially separates the recovery of our approved rate from customer usage patterns.

In our pipeline and storage segment, over 80 percent of that segment’s revenues are derived from delivery services provided to our Mid-Tex Division and a limited number of other local distribution companies. The revenue earned from these services is charged to these local distribution companies and is recovered from customers through the gas cost component of distribution company bills.

With respect to distribution bad debt expense, we have the ability to recover bad debt expense in our next rate filing. Filings are made annually in most of our jurisdictions. Additionally, the Company has the ability to immediately defer the gas cost component of bad debt expense on approximately 77 percent of our residential and commercial revenues. Further, since March 31, 2020, we have received regulatory orders in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas (including APT) and Virginia to defer into a regulatory asset all expenses, beyond the normal course of business, related to COVID-19, including bad debt expense.

Our regulatory mechanisms continue to operate as designed and we continue to make compliance filings that impact customer rates in accordance with established procedural timelines. However, for approximately 32 percent of our customers in Texas (including the City of Dallas), we have voluntarily delayed implementation of new rates to September 1, 2020 that were scheduled to go into effect during our fiscal third quarter. These delayed implementations will not have a material impact to our fiscal 2020 financial performance.

As of March 31, 2020, our equity capitalization was 58.2 percent and we had approximately $2 billion in total liquidity, including cash and cash equivalents and funds available through our equity forward sales agreements. Since March 31, 2020, we have taken steps to ensure we have sufficient liquidity to continue to provide the essential services necessary to support the safety and functionality of our critical infrastructure. In April 2020, we executed a new $200 million 2-year term loan, a new $600 million 364-day credit facility and replaced our $10 million 364-day credit facility with a new $50 million 364-day credit facility. We also renewed an existing credit facility and increased the size to $50 million. As of April 30, 2020, our total liquidity, including cash and cash equivalents and funds available through our equity forward sales agreements, was approximately $2.9 billion.

The extent of the pandemic’s effect on our future operational and financial performance will depend in large part on future developments, which are difficult to predict. Future developments include the duration, scope and severity of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain or mitigate its impact, actions that may be taken by our regulators, the development of treatments or vaccines, and the resumption of widespread economic activity. As of the date of this report, we continue to believe we remain positioned to continue modernizing our natural gas delivery network and business processes over the long-term.

The following discusses the results of operations for each of our operating segments.

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 this segment 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 of return 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.

Seasonal weather patterns can also affect our distribution operations. However, the effect of weather that is above or below normal is substantially offset through weather normalization adjustments, known as WNA, which have been approved by state regulatory commissions for approximately 96 percent of our residential and commercial revenues in the following states for the following time periods:

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Kansas, West Texas	October — May
Tennessee	October — April
Kentucky, Mississippi, Mid-Tex	November — April
Louisiana	December — March
Virginia	January — December

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 77 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.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 compared with Three Months Ended March 31, 2019

Financial and operational highlights for our distribution segment for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are presented below.

	Three Months Ended March 31
	2020			2019		Change
	(In thousands, unless otherwise noted)
Operating revenues	$	933,005		$	1,057,889	$	(124,884	)
Purchased gas cost	418,935			570,348		(151,413		)
Operating expenses	260,529			258,578		1,951
Operating income	253,541			228,963		24,578
Other non-operating income (expense)	(5,191		)	5,263		(10,454		)
Interest charges	10,797			15,896		(5,099		)
Income before income taxes	237,553			218,330		19,223
Income tax expense	50,489			46,137		4,352
Net income	$	187,064		$	172,193	$	14,871
Consolidated distribution sales volumes — MMcf	119,358			139,242		(19,884		)
Consolidated distribution transportation volumes — MMcf	44,512			46,190		(1,678		)
Total consolidated distribution throughput — MMcf	163,870			185,432		(21,562		)
Consolidated distribution average cost of gas per Mcf sold	$	3.51		$	4.10	$	(0.59	)

Operating income for our distribution segment increased 11 percent, which primarily reflects:

• a $28.6 million net increase in rate adjustments, primarily in our Mid-Tex, Mississippi, Louisiana and West Texas Divisions.

• a $4.5 million increase from customer growth primarily in our Mid-Tex Division.

Partially offset by:

• a $6.4 million increase in depreciation expense associated with increased capital investments.

• a $2.5 million increase in employee costs as we increased service-related headcount during fiscal 2019 to support operations in our fastest growing service territories.

Additionally, the quarter-over-quarter change in other non-operating expense and interest charges of $5.4 million is primarily due to decreases in the fair value of our equity securities partially offset by increased capitalized interest and allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC) primarily due to increased capital spending.

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The following table shows our operating income by distribution division, in order of total rate base, for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. The presentation of our distribution operating income is included for financial reporting purposes and may not be appropriate for ratemaking purposes.

	Three Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019		Change
	(In thousands)
Mid-Tex	$	109,707	$	93,131	$	16,576
Kentucky/Mid-States	34,386		35,022		(636		)
Louisiana	31,302		32,901		(1,599		)
West Texas	23,844		20,921		2,923
Mississippi	32,243		27,110		5,133
Colorado-Kansas	18,796		19,704		(908		)
Other	3,263		174		3,089
Total	$	253,541	$	228,963	$	24,578

Six Months Ended March 31, 2020 compared with Six Months Ended March 31, 2019

Financial and operational highlights for our distribution segment for the six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are presented below.

	Six Months Ended March 31
	2020			2019			Change
	(In thousands, unless otherwise noted)
Operating revenues	$	1,761,509		$	1,896,724		$	(135,215	)
Purchased gas cost	816,493			1,008,080			(191,587		)
Operating expenses	511,198			490,244			20,954
Operating income	433,818			398,400			35,418
Other non-operating expense	(3,237		)	(1,214		)	(2,023		)
Interest charges	27,159			34,106			(6,947		)
Income before income taxes	403,422			363,080			40,342
Income tax expense	86,601			76,502			10,099
Net income	$	316,821		$	286,578		$	30,243
Consolidated distribution sales volumes — MMcf	218,419			240,940			(22,521		)
Consolidated distribution transportation volumes — MMcf	85,009			87,238			(2,229		)
Total consolidated distribution throughput — MMcf	303,428			328,178			(24,750		)
Consolidated distribution average cost of gas per Mcf sold	$	3.74		$	4.18		$	(0.44	)

Operating income for our distribution segment increased nine percent, which primarily reflects:

• a $56.0 million net increase in rate adjustments, primarily in our Mid-Tex, Mississippi, Louisiana and West Texas Divisions.

• an $8.5 million increase from customer growth primarily in our Mid-Tex Division.

Partially offset by:

• a $15.6 million increase in depreciation expense and property taxes associated with increased capital investments.

• a $4.3 million increase in employee costs as we increased service-related headcount during fiscal 2019 to support operations in our fastest growing service territories.

• a $2.6 million increase in pipeline maintenance and related activities.

The year-over-year change in other non-operating expense and interest charges of $4.9 million primarily reflects increased capitalized interest and AFUDC primarily due to increased capital spending, partially offset by decreases in the fair value of our equity securities and an increase in interest expense due to the issuance of long-term debt during fiscal 2020.

Additionally, the increase in income tax expense is primarily a result of increases in income before income taxes as our effective income tax rate of 21.5% in the current year is consistent with 21.1% in the prior year.

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The following table shows our operating income by distribution division, in order of total rate base, for the six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. The presentation of our distribution operating income is included for financial reporting purposes and may not be appropriate for ratemaking purposes.

	Six Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019		Change
	(In thousands)
Mid-Tex	$	188,002	$	165,537	$	22,465
Kentucky/Mid-States	57,667		59,474		(1,807		)
Louisiana	55,595		55,054		541
West Texas	41,610		36,744		4,866
Mississippi	54,657		46,698		7,959
Colorado-Kansas	32,532		33,493		(961		)
Other	3,755		1,400		2,355
Total	$	433,818	$	398,400	$	35,418

Recent Ratemaking Developments

The amounts described in the following sections represent the operating income that was requested or received in each rate filing, which may not necessarily reflect the stated amount referenced in the final order, as certain operating costs may have changed as a result of a commission’s or other governmental authority’s final ruling. During the first six months of fiscal 2020, we implemented eight regulatory proceedings, resulting in a $59.2 million increase in annual operating income as summarized below.

Rate Action	Annual Increase in Operating Income
	(In thousands)
Annual formula rate mechanisms	$	58,809
Rate case filings	—
Other rate activity	353
	$	59,162

The following ratemaking efforts seeking $170.0 million in increased annual operating income were in progress as of March 31, 2020:

Division	Rate Action	Jurisdiction	Operating Income Requested
			(In thousands)
Colorado-Kansas	Rate Case	Kansas (1)	$	3,697
Kentucky/Mid-States	Formula Rate Mechanism	Tennessee	726
Louisiana	Formula Rate Mechanism	Louisiana	14,781
Mid-Tex	Formula Rate Mechanism	City of Dallas	17,137
Mid-Tex	Infrastructure Mechanism	ATM Cities	11,148
Mid-Tex	Infrastructure Mechanism	Environs	4,440
Mid-Tex	Formula Rate Mechanism	Mid-Tex Cities	94,060
Mississippi	Infrastructure Mechanism	Mississippi	10,242
West Texas	Infrastructure Mechanism	Cities of Amarillo, Lubbock, Dalhart and Channing	5,937
West Texas	Infrastructure Mechanism	Environs	1,031
West Texas	Formula Rate Mechanism	West Texas Cities	7,057
West Texas	Rate Case	WTX Triangle (2)	(242		)
			$	170,014

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(1) On February 24, 2020, the Kansas Corporation Commission approved this filing with a decrease to operating income of $0.2 million with rates to be implemented beginning April 1, 2020.

(2) On April 21, 2020, the Texas Railroad Commission approved this filing with a decrease to operating income of $0.8 million.

Annual Formula Rate Mechanisms

As an instrument to reduce regulatory lag, formula rate mechanisms allow us to refresh our rates on an annual basis without filing a formal rate case. However, these filings still involve discovery by the appropriate regulatory authorities prior to the final determination of rates under these mechanisms. We currently have formula rate mechanisms in our Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee operations and in substantially all the service areas in our Texas divisions. Additionally, we have specific infrastructure programs in substantially all of our distribution divisions with tariffs in place to permit the investment associated with these programs to have their surcharge rate adjusted annually to recover approved capital costs incurred in a prior test-year period. The following table summarizes our annual formula rate mechanisms by state:

	Annual Formula Rate Mechanisms
State	Infrastructure Programs	Formula Rate Mechanisms
Colorado	System Safety and Integrity Rider (SSIR)	—
Kansas	Gas System Reliability Surcharge (GSRS)	—
Kentucky	Pipeline Replacement Program (PRP)	—
Louisiana	(1)	Rate Stabilization Clause (RSC)
Mississippi	System Integrity Rider (SIR)	Stable Rate Filing (SRF)
Tennessee	—	Annual Rate Mechanism (ARM)
Texas	Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program (GRIP), (1)	Dallas Annual Rate Review (DARR), Rate Review Mechanism (RRM)
Virginia	Steps to Advance Virginia Energy (SAVE)	—

(1) Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas and Louisiana allow for the deferral of all expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, which primarily consists of interest, depreciation and other taxes (Texas only), until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recoverable through base rates.

The following annual formula rate mechanisms were approved during the six months ended March 31, 2020:

Division	Jurisdiction	Test Year Ended	Increase (Decrease) in Annual Operating Income		Effective Date
		(In thousands)
2020 Filings:
Colorado-Kansas	Colorado SSIR	12/31/2020	$	2,082	01/01/2020
Mississippi	Mississippi - SIR	10/31/2020	7,586		11/01/2019
Mississippi	Mississippi - SRF	10/31/2020	6,886		11/01/2019
Kentucky/Mid-States	Virginia - SAVE	09/30/2020	84		10/01/2019
Kentucky/Mid-States	Kentucky PRP	09/30/2020	2,912		10/01/2019
Mid-Tex	Mid-Tex Cities RRM	12/31/2018	34,380		10/01/2019
West Texas	West Texas Cities RRM	12/31/2018	4,879		10/01/2019
Total 2020 Filings			$	58,809

Rate Case Filings

A rate case is a formal request from Atmos Energy to a regulatory authority to increase rates that are charged to our customers. Rate cases may also be initiated when the regulatory authorities request us to justify our rates. This process is referred to as a “show cause” action. Adequate rates are intended to provide for recovery of the Company’s costs as well as a fair rate of return and ensure that we continue to deliver reliable, reasonably priced natural gas service safely to our customers.

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There was no rate case activity completed during the six months ended March 31, 2020.

Other Ratemaking Activity

The following table summarizes other ratemaking activity during the six months ended March 31, 2020.

Division	Jurisdiction	Rate Activity	Increase in Annual Operating Income		Effective Date
			(In thousands)
2020 Other Rate Activity:
Colorado-Kansas	Kansas	Ad Valorem (1)	$	353	02/01/2020
Total 2020 Other Rate Activity			$	353

(1) The Ad Valorem filing relates to property taxes that are either over or undercollected compared to the amount included in our Kansas service area's base rates.

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. 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 14, 2020, APT made a GRIP filing that covered changes in net investments from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 with a requested increase in operating income of $49.3 million.

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Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 compared with Three Months Ended March 31, 2019

Financial and operational highlights for our pipeline and storage segment for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are presented below.

	Three Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019			Change
	(In thousands, unless otherwise noted)
Mid-Tex / Affiliate transportation revenue	$	113,570	$	102,812		$	10,758
Third-party transportation revenue	31,307		30,042			1,265
Other revenue	1,360		2,796			(1,436		)
Total operating revenues	146,237		135,650			10,587
Total purchased gas cost	202		(90		)	292
Operating expenses	68,138		67,026			1,112
Operating income	77,897		68,714			9,183
Other non-operating income (expense)	2,202		(1,031		)	3,233
Interest charges	11,374		11,053			321
Income before income taxes	68,725		56,630			12,095
Income tax expense	16,143		13,935			2,208
Net income	$	52,582	$	42,695		$	9,887
Gross pipeline transportation volumes — MMcf	218,530		254,833			(36,303		)
Consolidated pipeline transportation volumes — MMcf	143,465		165,369			(21,904		)

Operating income for our pipeline and storage segment increased thirteen percent. Operating revenue increased $10.6 million, primarily due to rate adjustments from the GRIP filing approved in May 2019. The increase in rates was driven primarily by increased safety and reliability spending. This increase was partially offset by a $1.1 million increase in operating expenses, primarily due to higher depreciation expense associated with increased capital investments and higher system maintenance expense primarily due to spending on hydro testing and in-line inspections.

Six Months Ended March 31, 2020 compared with Six Months Ended March 31, 2019

Financial and operational highlights for our pipeline and storage segment for the six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are presented below.

	Six Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019			Change
	(In thousands, unless otherwise noted)
Mid-Tex / Affiliate transportation revenue	$	226,733	$	204,539		$	22,194
Third-party transportation revenue	61,607		61,077			530
Other revenue	6,073		4,504			1,569
Total operating revenues	294,413		270,120			24,293
Total purchased gas cost	301		(448		)	749
Operating expenses	143,711		134,827			8,884
Operating income	150,401		135,741			14,660
Other non-operating income (expense)	5,135		(2,277		)	7,412
Interest charges	22,241		20,692			1,549
Income before income taxes	133,295		112,772			20,523
Income tax expense	31,797		26,816			4,981
Net income	$	101,498	$	85,956		$	15,542
Gross pipeline transportation volumes — MMcf	442,242		493,688			(51,446		)
Consolidated pipeline transportation volumes — MMcf	299,994		335,896			(35,902		)

Operating income for our pipeline and storage segment increased eleven percent. Operating revenue increased $24.3 million, primarily due to rate adjustments from the GRIP filing approved in May 2019. The increase in rates was driven

36

primarily by increased safety and reliability spending. This increase was partially offset by an $8.9 million increase in operating expenses, primarily due to higher depreciation expense associated with increased capital investments and higher system maintenance expense of $6.8 million primarily due to well integrity costs and spending on hydro testing and in-line inspections.

Additionally, the year-over-year change in other non-operating income and interest charges of $5.9 million primarily reflects increased AFUDC primarily due to increased capital spending.

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. As of the date of this report, external debt financing is provided primarily through the issuance of long-term debt, a $1.5 billion commercial paper program and four committed revolving credit facilities with a total availability from third-party lenders of approximately $2.2 billion. 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 with an equity-to-total-capitalization ratio between 50% and 60%, inclusive of long-term and short-term debt. 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 $4.0 billion in common stock and/or debt securities. At March 31, 2020, approximately $3.0 billion of securities remained available for issuance under the shelf registration statement, which expires February 11, 2023.

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 February 11, 2023. As of March 31, 2020, approximately $855 million of equity is available for issuance under this ATM equity sales program.

During the first six months of 2020, we executed forward sales under the ATM with various forward sellers who borrowed and sold 1,890,857 shares of our common stock at an aggregate price of $219.9 million. Additionally, we settled forward sale agreements with respect to 2,720,060 shares that had been borrowed and sold by various forward sellers during fiscal 2019 at an aggregate price of $258.0 million. As of March 31, 2020, if we had settled all 3,800,657 shares that remain available under our various forward sale agreements we would have received proceeds of $418.6 million. Additional details are summarized below.

Issue Quarter	Issued Under	Shares Available	Net Proceeds Available (In thousands)		Maturity	Forward Price
June 30, 2019	ATM	486,201	$	48,819	9/30/2020	$	100.41
September 30, 2019	ATM	1,423,599	153,426		9/30/2020	$	107.77
December 31, 2019	ATM	339,574	36,218		9/30/2020	$	106.66
March 31, 2020	ATM	1,551,283	180,117		9/30/2020 3/31/2021	$	116.11
Total		3,800,657	$	418,580

The liquidity provided by these sources is expected to be sufficient to fund the Company's working capital needs and capital expenditure program for the remainder of fiscal year 2020 and beyond. Additionally we expect to continue to be able to obtain financing upon reasonable terms as necessary.

The following table presents our capitalization inclusive of short-term debt and the current portion of long-term debt as of March 31, 2020, September 30, 2019 and March 31, 2019:

	March 31, 2020				September 30, 2019				March 31, 2019
	(In thousands, except percentages)
Short-term debt	$	199,923	1.8	%	$	464,915	4.8	%	$	—	—	%
Long-term debt(1)	4,328,997		40.0	%	3,529,452		36.2	%	3,653,713		39.9	%
Shareholders’ equity	6,304,415		58.2	%	5,750,223		59.0	%	5,508,101		60.1	%
Total	$	10,833,335	100.0	%	$	9,744,590	100.0	%	$	9,161,814	100.0	%

(1) Inclusive of our finance leases as of March 31, 2020.

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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, 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 six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are presented below.

	Six Months Ended March 31
	2020			2019			Change
	(In thousands)
Total cash provided by (used in)
Operating activities	$	633,775		$	560,829		$	72,946
Investing activities	(991,237		)	(768,421		)	(222,816		)
Financing activities	653,011			302,174			350,837
Change in cash and cash equivalents	295,549			94,582			200,967
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,550			13,771			10,779
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	320,099		$	108,353		$	211,746

Cash flows from operating activities

For the six months ended March 31, 2020, we generated cash flow from operating activities of $633.8 million compared with $560.8 million for the six months ended March 31, 2019. The $72.9 million increase in operating cash flows reflects positive cash effects of successful rate case outcomes achieved in fiscal 2019 and working capital changes, primarily as a result of the timing of gas cost recoveries under our purchase gas cost mechanisms.

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 84 percent of our capital spending has been committed to improving the safety and reliability of our system.

We allocate our capital spending among our service areas using risk management models and subject matter experts to identify, assess and develop a plan of action to address our highest risk facilities. We have regulatory mechanisms in most of our service areas that provide the opportunity to include approved capital costs in rate base on a periodic basis without being required to file a rate case. These mechanisms permit us a reasonable opportunity to earn a fair return on our investment without compromising safety or reliability.

For the six months ended March 31, 2020, cash used for investing activities was $991.2 million compared to $768.4 million for the six months ended March 31, 2019. Capital spending increased by $217.2 million, or 28 percent, as a result of planned increases in our distribution segment to repair and replace vintage pipe and increases in spending in our pipeline and storage segment to improve the reliability of gas service to our local distribution company customers.

Cash flows from financing activities

For the six months ended March 31, 2020, our financing activities provided $653.0 million of cash compared with $302.2 million of cash provided by financing activities in the prior-year period.

In the six months ended March 31, 2020, we received $1.1 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt and equity. On October 2, 2019, we completed a public offering of $300 million of 2.625% senior notes due 2029 and $500 million of 3.375% senior notes due 2049. We received net proceeds from the offering, after the underwriting discount and offering expenses, of $791.7 million. Additionally, during the six months ended March 31, 2020, we settled 2,720,060 shares that had been sold on a forward basis during fiscal 2019 for net proceeds of $258.0 million. The net proceeds were used primarily to support capital spending, reduce short term debt and for other general corporate purposes.

Cash dividends increased due to a 9.5 percent increase in our dividend rate and an increase in shares outstanding.

In the six months ended March 31, 2019, we received $1.5 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt and equity. A portion of the net proceeds was used to repay at maturity our $450 million 8.50% unsecured senior notes and the related settlement of our interest rate swaps for $90.1 million, to reduce short-term debt, to support our capital spending and for

38

other general corporate purposes. Cash dividends increased due to an 8.2 percent increase in our dividend rate and an increase in shares outstanding.

The following table summarizes our share issuances for the six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019:

	Six Months Ended March 31
	2020	2019
Shares issued:
Direct Stock Purchase Plan	36,752	61,237
1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan	172,209	213,402
Retirement Savings Plan and Trust	40,779	43,745
Equity Issuance	2,720,060	5,390,836
Total shares issued	2,969,800	5,709,220

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 pension liabilities. In addition, the rating agencies consider qualitative factors such as consistency of our earnings over time, the quality of our management and business strategy, the risks associated with our businesses 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 December 16, 2019, Moody's upgraded our senior unsecured long-term debt rating to A1 and changed their outlook to stable, citing our strong credit metrics as a result of continued improvement in rate design to minimize regulatory lag and our balanced fiscal policy. As of March 31, 2020, S&P maintained a stable outlook. Our current debt ratings are all considered investment grade and are as follows:

	S&P	Moody’s
Senior unsecured long-term debt	A	A1
Short-term debt	A-1	P-1

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 March 31, 2020. Our debt covenants are described in greater detail in Note 7 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

Except as noted in Note 10 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, there were no significant changes in our contractual obligations and commercial commitments during the six months ended March 31, 2020.

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 periodically entering into financial instruments to effectively fix the Treasury yield component of the interest cost associated with anticipated financings.

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The following table shows the components of the change in fair value of our financial instruments for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019:

	Three Months Ended March 31						Six Months Ended March 31
	2020			2019			2020			2019
	(In thousands)
Fair value of contracts at beginning of period	$	(7,459	)	$	(83,669	)	$	(3,990	)	$	(55,218	)
Contracts realized/settled	(4,073		)	89,916			(6,936		)	96,374
Fair value of new contracts	(10		)	405			95			889
Other changes in value	10,710			(5,079		)	9,999			(40,472		)
Fair value of contracts at end of period	(832		)	1,573			(832		)	1,573
Netting of cash collateral	—			—			—			—
Cash collateral and fair value of contracts at period end	$	(832	)	$	1,573		$	(832	)	$	1,573

The fair value of our financial instruments at March 31, 2020 is presented below by time period and fair value source:

	Fair Value of Contracts at March 31, 2020
	Maturity in Years
Source of Fair Value	Less Than 1			1-3		4-5		Greater Than 5		Total Fair Value
	(In thousands)
Prices actively quoted	$	(834	)	$	2	$	—	$	—	$	(832	)
Prices based on models and other valuation methods	—			—		—		—		—
Total Fair Value	$	(834	)	$	2	$	—	$	—	$	(832	)

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OPERATING STATISTICS AND OTHER INFORMATION

The following tables present certain operating statistics for our distribution and pipeline and storage segments for the three and six month periods ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

Distribution Sales and Statistical Data

	Three Months Ended March 31		Six Months Ended March 31
	2020	2019	2020	2019
METERS IN SERVICE, end of period
Residential	3,025,771	2,995,438	3,025,771	2,995,438
Commercial	276,668	273,533	276,668	273,533
Industrial	1,659	1,669	1,659	1,669
Public authority and other	8,518	8,365	8,518	8,365
Total meters	3,312,616	3,279,005	3,312,616	3,279,005
INVENTORY STORAGE BALANCE — Bcf	34.5	30.3	34.5	30.3
SALES VOLUMES — MMcf(1)
Gas sales volumes
Residential	71,124	84,757	129,904	144,621
Commercial	37,585	42,974	68,838	74,557
Industrial	7,913	8,727	14,768	16,901
Public authority and other	2,736	2,784	4,909	4,861
Total gas sales volumes	119,358	139,242	218,419	240,940
Transportation volumes	46,542	48,235	88,816	91,086
Total throughput	165,900	187,477	307,235	332,026

Pipeline and Storage Operations Sales and Statistical Data

	Three Months Ended March 31		Six Months Ended March 31
	2020	2019	2020	2019
CUSTOMERS, end of period
Industrial	93	93	93	93
Other	235	230	235	230
Total	328	323	328	323
INVENTORY STORAGE BALANCE — Bcf	1.0	0.2	1.0	0.2
PIPELINE TRANSPORTATION VOLUMES — MMcf(1)	218,530	254,833	442,242	493,688

Note to preceding tables:

⁽¹⁾  Sales and transportation volumes reflect segment operations, including intercompany sales and transportation amounts.

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 unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

41

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Information regarding our quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk are disclosed in Item 7A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, there were no material changes in our quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Management’s Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act). Based on this evaluation, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2020 to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us, including our consolidated entities, in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified by the SEC’s rules and forms, including a reasonable level of assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We did not make any changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the second quarter of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

42

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

During the six months ended March 31, 2020, except as noted in Note 10 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, there were no material changes in the status of the litigation and other matters that were disclosed in Note 12 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. We continue to believe that the final outcome of such litigation and other matters or claims will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Except as updated below, there were no material changes from the risk factors disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2019.

The outbreak of COVID-19 and its impact on business and economic conditions could negatively affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The scale and scope of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the resulting pandemic, and the impact on the economy and financial markets could adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. As an essential business, the Company continues to provide natural gas services and has implemented business continuity and emergency response plans to continue to provide natural gas services to customers and support the Company’s operations, while taking health and safety measures such as implementing worker distancing measures and using a remote workforce where possible. However, there is no assurance that the continued spread of COVID-19 and efforts to contain the virus (including, but not limited to, voluntary and mandatory quarantines, restrictions on travel, limiting gatherings of people, and reduced operations and extended closures of many businesses and institutions) will not materially impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. In particular, the continued spread of COVID-19 and efforts to contain the virus could:

• impact customer demand for natural gas, particularly from commercial and industrial customers;

• reduce the availability and productivity of our employees and contractors;

• cause us to experience an increase in costs as a result of our emergency measures, delayed payments from our customers and uncollectable accounts;

• cause the Company’s contractors, suppliers and other business partners to be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations;

• result in our inability to meet the requirements of the covenants in our existing credit facilities, including covenants regarding the ratio of indebtedness to total capitalization;

• cause a deterioration in our financial metrics or the business environment that impacts our credit ratings;

• impact our liquidity position and cost of and ability to access funds from financial institutions and capital markets; and

• cause other unpredictable events.

The situation surrounding COVID-19 remains fluid and the likelihood of an impact on the Company that could be material increases the longer the virus impacts activity levels in the United States. Therefore, it is difficult to predict with certainty the potential impact of the virus on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic has an adverse impact on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risk factors disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2019, such as those relating to 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; and the impact of adverse economic conditions on our customers.

Item 6. Exhibits

The following exhibits are filed as part of this Quarterly Report.

43

Exhibit Number	Description	Page Number or Incorporation by Reference to
3.1	Restated Articles of Incorporation of Atmos Energy Corporation - Texas (As Amended Effective February 3, 2010)	Exhibit 3.1 to Form 10-Q dated March 31, 2010 (File No. 1-10042)
3.2	Restated Articles of Incorporation of Atmos Energy Corporation - Virginia (As Amended Effective February 3, 2010)	Exhibit 3.2 to Form 10-Q dated March 31, 2010 (File No. 1-10042)
3.3	Amended and Restated Bylaws of Atmos Energy Corporation (as of February 5, 2019)	Exhibit 3.1 to Form 8-K dated February 5, 2019 (File No. 1-10042)
10.1	Equity Distribution Agreement, dated as of February 12, 2020, among Atmos Energy Corporation and the Managers and Forward Purchasers named in Schedule A thereto	Exhibit 1.1 to Form 8-K dated February 12, 2020 (File No. 1-10042)
10.2	Form of Master Forward Sale Confirmation	Exhibit 1.2 to Form 8-K dated February 12, 2020 (File No. 1-10042)
10.3	Term Loan Agreement, dated as of April 9, 2020, among Atmos Energy Corporation, Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, as the Administrative Agent, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, New York Branch, as Syndication Agent, Credit Agricole Corporation and Investment Bank and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, New York Branch, as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint-Bookrunners, and the lenders named therein	Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K dated April 9, 2020 (File No. 1-10042)
10.4	364-Day Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of April 23, 2020, among Atmos Energy Corporation, Mizuho Bank, Ltd., as the Administrative Agent, the agents, arrangers and bookrunners named therein, and the lenders named therein	Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K dated April 23, 2020 (File No. 1-10042)
15	Letter regarding unaudited interim financial information
31	Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certifications
32	Section 1350 Certifications*
101.INS	XBRL Instance Document - the Instance Document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
101.SCH	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
101.CAL	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
101.DEF	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
101.LAB	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase
101.PRE	Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page interactive data file does not appear in the interactive data file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document

* These certifications, which were made pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, furnished as Exhibit 32 to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, will not be deemed to be filed with the Commission or incorporated by reference into any filing by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates such certifications by reference.

44

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

               (Registrant)

By: /s/    CHRISTOPHER T. FORSYTHE

Christopher T. Forsythe

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(Duly authorized signatory)

Date: May 6, 2020

45

EX-15

Exhibit 15

Board of Directors and Shareholders of Atmos Energy Corporation

Atmos Energy Corporation

We are aware of the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements (Form S-3, No. 33-37869; Form S-3, No. 33-58220; Form S-3D/A, No. 33-70212; Form S-3, No. 33-56915; Form S-3/A, No. 333-03339; Form S-3/A, No. 333-32475; Form S-3/A, No. 333-50477; Form S-3, No. 333-95525; Form S-3/A, No. 333-93705; Form S-3, No. 333-75576; Form S-3D, No. 333-113603; Form S-3, No. 333-118706; Form S-3D, No. 333-155666; Form S-3D, No. 333-208317; Form S-3ASR, No. 333-236369; Form S-4, No. 333-13429; Form S-8, No. 33-57687; Form S-8, No. 33-57695; Form S-8, No. 333-32343; Form S-8, No. 333-46337; Form S-8, No. 333-73143; Form S-8, No. 333-73145; Form S-8, No. 333-63738; Form S-8, No. 333-88832; Form S-8, No. 333-116367; Form S-8, No. 333-138209; Form S-8, No. 333-145817; Form S-8, No. 333-155570; Form S-8, No. 333-166639; Form S-8, No. 333-177593; Form S-8, No. 333-199301; Form S-8, No. 333-210461; and Form S-8, No. 333-217739) of Atmos Energy Corporation and in the related Prospectuses of our report dated May 6, 2020, relating to the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements of Atmos Energy Corporation, which are included in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

/s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Dallas, Texas

May 6, 2020

EX-31

EXHIBIT 31

RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) CERTIFICATIONS

I, John K. Akers, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Atmos Energy Corporation;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and     

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: May 6, 2020

/s/ JOHN K. AKERS

John K. Akers

President and

Chief Executive Officer

I, Christopher T. Forsythe, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Atmos Energy Corporation;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and     

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: May 6, 2020

/s/ CHRISTOPHER T. FORSYTHE

Christopher T. Forsythe

Senior Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

EX-32

Exhibit 32

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

(18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350)

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Atmos Energy Corporation (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, John K. Akers, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

May 6, 2020

/s/ JOHN K. AKERS

John K. Akers

President and

Chief Executive Officer

A signed original of this written statement has been provided to Atmos Energy Corporation and will be retained by Atmos Energy Corporation and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

(18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350)

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Atmos Energy Corporation (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Christopher T. Forsythe, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

May 6, 2020

/s/ CHRISTOPHER T. FORSYTHE

Christopher T. Forsythe

Senior Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

A signed original of this written statement has been provided to Atmos Energy Corporation and will be retained by Atmos Energy Corporation and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

XML

Debt - Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Oct. 02, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 4,360,000		$ 3,560,000
Finance lease obligations	6,666		0
Total long-term debt	4,366,666		3,560,000
Original issue (premium) / discount on unsecured senior notes and debentures	663		193
Debt issuance cost	37,006		30,355
Current maturities	131		0
Long-term debt, noncurrent	$ 4,328,866		3,529,452
Unsecured 3.00% Senior Notes, due 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	3.00%
Long-term debt	$ 500,000		500,000
Unsecured 2.625% Senior Notes, due 2029
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	2.625%	2.625%
Long-term debt	$ 300,000		0
Unsecured 5.95% Senior Notes, due 2034
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.95%
Long-term debt	$ 200,000		200,000
Unsecured 5.50% Senior Notes, due 2041
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.50%
Long-term debt	$ 400,000		400,000
Unsecured 4.15% Senior Notes, due 2043
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	4.15%
Long-term debt	$ 500,000		500,000
Unsecured 4.125% Senior Notes, due 2044
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	4.125%
Long-term debt	$ 750,000		750,000
Unsecured 4.30% Senior Notes, due 2048
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	4.30%
Long-term debt	$ 600,000		600,000
Unsecured 4.125% Senior Notes, due 2049
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	4.125%
Long-term debt	$ 450,000		450,000
Unsecured 3.375% Senior Notes, due 2049
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	3.375%	3.375%
Long-term debt	$ 500,000		0
Medium-term note Series A, 1995-1, 6.67%, due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	6.67%
Long-term debt	$ 10,000		10,000
Unsecured 6.75% Debentures, due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	6.75%
Long-term debt	$ 150,000		$ 150,000

XML

Shareholders' Equity - Narrative (Details)		6 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($) Forward_seller shares	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Feb. 12, 2020 USD ($)	Feb. 11, 2020 USD ($)
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Value of shares authorized				$ 1,000,000,000.0
Forward contract indexed to issuer's equity, settlement alternatives, cash, at fair value		$ 418,580,000
Net proceeds from equity offering		258,047,000	$ 494,085,000
Number of forward sellers | Forward_seller	2
Shelf Registration Statement
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Debt and equity securities authorized for issuance					$ 4,000,000,000.0
Debt and equity securities authorized for issuance value remaining		$ 3,000,000,000.0
At-The-Market
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Forward sales equity agreement (in shares) | shares		1,890,857
Forward contract indexed to issuer's equity, settlement alternatives, cash, at fair value		$ 219,900,000
Stock issued during period, new issues (in shares) | shares		2,234,871
Value of shares available for issuance		$ 855,000,000
Net proceeds from equity offering		213,600,000
Common Stock Block Trade
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock issued during period, new issues (in shares) | shares	5,390,836
Net proceeds from equity offering	$ 494,100,000
Gross proceeds from equity offering	500,000,000
Forward Sales Equity Agreements
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Forward contract indexed to issuer's equity, settlement alternatives, cash, at fair value	$ 247,500,000	$ 418,600,000
Stock issued during period, new issues (in shares) | shares	2,668,464	485,189	1,670,509
Net proceeds from equity offering		$ 44,400,000
Forward sales equity agreement, forward rate per share | $ / shares		$ 110.13	$ 95.46

XML

Debt (Table)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments

Long-term debt at March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 consisted of the following:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Unsecured 3.00% Senior Notes, due 2027	$	500,000	$	500,000
Unsecured 2.625% Senior Notes, due 2029	300,000		—
Unsecured 5.95% Senior Notes, due 2034	200,000		200,000
Unsecured 5.50% Senior Notes, due 2041	400,000		400,000
Unsecured 4.15% Senior Notes, due 2043	500,000		500,000
Unsecured 4.125% Senior Notes, due 2044	750,000		750,000
Unsecured 4.30% Senior Notes, due 2048	600,000		600,000
Unsecured 4.125% Senior Notes, due 2049	450,000		450,000
Unsecured 3.375% Senior Notes, due 2049	500,000		—
Medium-term note Series A, 1995-1, 6.67%, due 2025	10,000		10,000
Unsecured 6.75% Debentures, due 2028	150,000		150,000
Finance lease obligations (see Note 6)	6,666		—
Total long-term debt	4,366,666		3,560,000
Less:
Original issue (premium) / discount on unsecured senior notes and debentures	663		193
Debt issuance cost	37,006		30,355
Current maturities	131		—
	$	4,328,866	$	3,529,452

XML

Segment Information (Table)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment

Income statements and capital expenditures for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 by segment are presented in the following tables:

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
	Distribution			Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	932,296		$	45,369	$	—		$	977,665
Intersegment revenues	709			100,868		(101,577		)	—
Total operating revenues	933,005			146,237		(101,577		)	977,665
Purchased gas cost	418,935			202		(101,254		)	317,883
Operation and maintenance expense	115,851			32,296		(323		)	147,824
Depreciation and amortization expense	76,265			29,651		—			105,916
Taxes, other than income	68,413			6,191		—			74,604
Operating income	253,541			77,897		—			331,438
Other non-operating income (expense)	(5,191		)	2,202		—			(2,989		)
Interest charges	10,797			11,374		—			22,171
Income before income taxes	237,553			68,725		—			306,278
Income tax expense	50,489			16,143		—			66,632
Net income	$	187,064		$	52,582	$	—		$	239,646
Capital expenditures	$	373,313		$	92,238	$	—		$	465,551

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage			Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	1,057,192	$	37,453		$	—		$	1,094,645
Intersegment revenues	697		98,197			(98,894		)	—
Total operating revenues	1,057,889		135,650			(98,894		)	1,094,645
Purchased gas cost	570,348		(90		)	(98,582		)	471,676
Operation and maintenance expense	117,621		32,118			(312		)	149,427
Depreciation and amortization expense	69,904		26,868			—			96,772
Taxes, other than income	71,053		8,040			—			79,093
Operating income	228,963		68,714			—			297,677
Other non-operating income (expense)	5,263		(1,031		)	—			4,232
Interest charges	15,896		11,053			—			26,949
Income before income taxes	218,330		56,630			—			274,960
Income tax expense	46,137		13,935			—			60,072
Net income	$	172,193	$	42,695		$	—		$	214,888
Capital expenditures	$	293,270	$	67,912		$	—		$	361,182

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	Distribution			Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	1,760,136		$	93,092	$	—		$	1,853,228
Intersegment revenues	1,373			201,321		(202,694		)	—
Total operating revenues	1,761,509			294,413		(202,694		)	1,853,228
Purchased gas cost	816,493			301		(202,043		)	614,751
Operation and maintenance expense	230,203			70,517		(651		)	300,069
Depreciation and amortization expense	152,339			58,639		—			210,978
Taxes, other than income	128,656			14,555		—			143,211
Operating income	433,818			150,401		—			584,219
Other non-operating income (expense)	(3,237		)	5,135		—			1,898
Interest charges	27,159			22,241		—			49,400
Income before income taxes	403,422			133,295		—			536,717
Income tax expense	86,601			31,797		—			118,398
Net income	$	316,821		$	101,498	$	—		$	418,319
Capital expenditures	$	777,560		$	217,177	$	—		$	994,737

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution			Pipeline and Storage			Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	1,895,373		$	77,054		$	—		$	1,972,427
Intersegment revenues	1,351			193,066			(194,417		)	—
Total operating revenues	1,896,724			270,120			(194,417		)	1,972,427
Purchased gas cost	1,008,080			(448		)	(193,791		)	813,841
Operation and maintenance expense	223,388			65,265			(626		)	288,027
Depreciation and amortization expense	139,613			53,224			—			192,837
Taxes, other than income	127,243			16,338			—			143,581
Operating income	398,400			135,741			—			534,141
Other non-operating expense	(1,214		)	(2,277		)	—			(3,491		)
Interest charges	34,106			20,692			—			54,798
Income before income taxes	363,080			112,772			—			475,852
Income tax expense	76,502			26,816			—			103,318
Net income	$	286,578		$	85,956		$	—		$	372,534
Capital expenditures	$	595,815		$	181,771		$	—		$	777,586

 

Balance sheet information at March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 by segment is presented in the following tables:

	March 31, 2020
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	9,364,424	$	3,183,816	$	—		$	12,548,240
Total assets	$	13,946,651	$	3,403,106	$	(2,633,359	)	$	14,716,398

	September 30, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	8,737,590	$	3,050,079	$	—		$	11,787,669
Total assets	$	12,579,741	$	3,279,323	$	(2,491,445	)	$	13,367,619

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Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) state	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) state	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of states with service areas | state	8				8
Segment Reporting Information Profit Loss [Abstract]
Operating revenues	$ 977,665		$ 1,094,645		$ 1,853,228	$ 1,972,427
Purchased gas cost	317,883		471,676		614,751	813,841
Operation and maintenance expense	147,824		149,427		300,069	288,027
Depreciation and amortization expense	105,916		96,772		210,978	192,837
Taxes, other than income	74,604		79,093		143,211	143,581
Operating income	331,438		297,677		584,219	534,141
Other non-operating income (expense)	(2,989)		4,232		1,898	(3,491)
Interest charges	22,171		26,949		49,400	54,798
Income before income taxes	306,278		274,960		536,717	475,852
Income tax (benefit) expense	66,632		60,072		118,398	103,318
Net income	239,646	$ 178,673	214,888	$ 157,646	418,319	372,534
Capital expenditures	465,551		361,182		994,737	777,586
Segment Reporting Information, Balance Sheet [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, net	12,548,240				12,548,240		$ 11,787,669
Total assets	14,716,398				14,716,398		13,367,619
Distribution
Segment Reporting Information Profit Loss [Abstract]
Operating revenues	932,296		1,057,192		1,760,136	1,895,373
Pipeline and Storage
Segment Reporting Information Profit Loss [Abstract]
Operating revenues	45,369		37,453		93,092	77,054
Operating Segments | Distribution
Segment Reporting Information Profit Loss [Abstract]
Operating revenues	933,005		1,057,889		1,761,509	1,896,724
Purchased gas cost	418,935		570,348		816,493	1,008,080
Operation and maintenance expense	115,851		117,621		230,203	223,388
Depreciation and amortization expense	76,265		69,904		152,339	139,613
Taxes, other than income	68,413		71,053		128,656	127,243
Operating income	253,541		228,963		433,818	398,400
Other non-operating income (expense)	(5,191)		5,263		(3,237)	(1,214)
Interest charges	10,797		15,896		27,159	34,106
Income before income taxes	237,553		218,330		403,422	363,080
Income tax (benefit) expense	50,489		46,137		86,601	76,502
Net income	187,064		172,193		316,821	286,578
Capital expenditures	373,313		293,270		777,560	595,815
Segment Reporting Information, Balance Sheet [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, net	9,364,424				9,364,424		8,737,590
Total assets	13,946,651				13,946,651		12,579,741
Operating Segments | Pipeline and Storage
Segment Reporting Information Profit Loss [Abstract]
Operating revenues	146,237		135,650		294,413	270,120
Purchased gas cost	202		(90)		301	(448)
Operation and maintenance expense	32,296		32,118		70,517	65,265
Depreciation and amortization expense	29,651		26,868		58,639	53,224
Taxes, other than income	6,191		8,040		14,555	16,338
Operating income	77,897		68,714		150,401	135,741
Other non-operating income (expense)	2,202		(1,031)		5,135	(2,277)
Interest charges	11,374		11,053		22,241	20,692
Income before income taxes	68,725		56,630		133,295	112,772
Income tax (benefit) expense	16,143		13,935		31,797	26,816
Net income	52,582		42,695		101,498	85,956
Capital expenditures	92,238		67,912		217,177	181,771
Segment Reporting Information, Balance Sheet [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,183,816				3,183,816		3,050,079
Total assets	3,403,106				3,403,106		3,279,323
Intersegment eliminations
Segment Reporting Information Profit Loss [Abstract]
Operating revenues	(101,577)		(98,894)		(202,694)	(194,417)
Purchased gas cost	(101,254)		(98,582)		(202,043)	(193,791)
Operation and maintenance expense	(323)		(312)		(651)	(626)
Depreciation and amortization expense	0		0		0	0
Taxes, other than income	0		0		0	0
Operating income	0		0		0	0
Other non-operating income (expense)	0		0		0	0
Interest charges	0		0		0	0
Income before income taxes	0		0		0	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0		0		0	0
Net income	0		0		0	0
Capital expenditures	0		0		0	0
Segment Reporting Information, Balance Sheet [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, net	0				0		0
Total assets	(2,633,359)				(2,633,359)		$ (2,491,445)
Intersegment eliminations | Distribution
Segment Reporting Information Profit Loss [Abstract]
Operating revenues	709		697		1,373	1,351
Intersegment eliminations | Pipeline and Storage
Segment Reporting Information Profit Loss [Abstract]
Operating revenues	$ 100,868		$ 98,197		$ 201,321	$ 193,066

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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Common stock stated value (USD per share)	$ 0.005	$ 0.005
Common stock authorized (in shares)	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock issued (in shares)	122,308,725	119,338,925
Common stock outstanding (in shares)	122,308,725	119,338,925

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Leases - Weighted Averages (Details)	Mar. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Finance lease, weighted average remaining lease term	19 years 5 months 12 days
Operating lease, weighted average remaining lease term	10 years 8 months 19 days
Finance lease, weighted average discount rate (in percent)	6.95%
Operating lease, weighted average discount rate (in percent)	2.92%

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Nature of Business

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of Business

Nature of Business

Atmos Energy Corporation (“Atmos Energy” or the “Company”) and its subsidiaries are engaged in the regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline and storage businesses. Our distribution business is subject to federal and state regulation and/or regulation by local authorities in each of the states in which our regulated divisions and subsidiaries operate.

Our distribution business delivers natural gas through sales and transportation arrangements to over three million residential, commercial, public authority and industrial customers through our six regulated distribution divisions, which at March 31, 2020, covered service areas located in eight states.

Our pipeline and storage business, which is also subject to federal and state regulations, includes the transportation of natural gas to our Texas and Louisiana distribution systems and the management of our underground storage facilities used to support our distribution business in various states.

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Shareholders' Equity

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Equity [Abstract]

Shareholders' Equity

Shareholders' Equity

The following tables present a reconciliation of changes in stockholders' equity for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

	Common stock			Additional Paid-in Capital		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Retained Earnings			Total
	Number of Shares	Stated Value
	(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Balance, September 30, 2019	119,338,925	$	597	$	3,712,194	$	(114,583	)	$	2,152,015		$	5,750,223
Net income	—	—		—		—			178,673			178,673
Other comprehensive income	—	—		—		1,052			—			1,052
Cash dividends ($0.575 per share)	—	—		—		—			(69,557		)	(69,557		)
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	2,758,929	13		263,259		—			—			263,272
Stock-based compensation plans	164,549	1		4,111		—			—			4,112
Balance, December 31, 2019	122,262,403	611		3,979,564		(113,531		)	2,261,131			6,127,775
Net income	—	—		—		—			239,646			239,646
Other comprehensive income	—	—		—		890			—			890
Cash dividends ($0.575 per share)	—	—		—		—			(70,520		)	(70,520		)
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	38,662	1		3,095		—			—			3,096
Stock-based compensation plans	7,660	—		3,528		—			—			3,528
Balance, March 31, 2020	122,308,725	$	612	$	3,986,187	$	(112,641	)	$	2,430,257		$	6,304,415

	Common stock			Additional Paid-in Capital		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Retained Earnings			Total
	Number of Shares	Stated Value
	(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Balance, September 30, 2018	111,273,683	$	556	$	2,974,926	$	(83,647	)	$	1,878,116		$	4,769,951
Net income	—	—		—		—			157,646			157,646
Other comprehensive loss	—	—		—		(22,258		)	—			(22,258		)
Cash dividends ($0.525 per share)	—	—		—		—			(58,722		)	(58,722		)
Cumulative effect of accounting change	—	—		—		(8,210		)	8,210			—
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	5,434,812	27		498,948		—			—			498,975
Stock-based compensation plans	184,464	1		2,602		—			—			2,603
Balance, December 31, 2018	116,892,959	584		3,476,476		(114,115		)	1,985,250			5,348,195
Net income	—	—		—		—			214,888			214,888
Other comprehensive loss	—	—		—		(2,695		)	—			(2,695		)
Cash dividends ($0.525 per share)	—	—		—		—			(61,606		)	(61,606		)
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	61,006	1		5,453		—			—			5,454
Stock-based compensation plans	28,938	—		3,865		—			—			3,865
Balance, March 31, 2019	116,982,903	$	585	$	3,485,794	$	(116,810	)	$	2,138,532		$	5,508,101

Shelf Registration, At-the-Market Equity Sales Program and Equity Issuances

On February 11, 2020, we filed a shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that allows us to issue up to $4.0 billion in common stock and/or debt securities, which expires February 11, 2023. This shelf registration statement replaced our previous shelf registration statement which was filed on November 13, 2018 (2018 Registration Statement). At March 31, 2020, approximately $3.0 billion of securities remained available for issuance under the shelf registration statement.

On February 12, 2020, we filed a prospectus supplement under the shelf registration statement relating to an at-the-market (ATM) equity sales program (February 2020 ATM) under which we may 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 concurrently with the ATM equity sales program). This ATM equity sales program replaced our previous ATM equity sales program, filed on November 19, 2018 (November 2018 ATM), which was exhausted during the second quarter with the execution of forward sales.

During the six months ended March 31, 2020, we executed forward sales under the February 2020 ATM and the November 2018 ATM equity sales programs with various forward sellers who borrowed and sold 1,890,857 shares of our common stock at an aggregate price of $219.9 million. Additionally, during the six months ended March 31, 2020, we settled forward sale agreements with respect to 2,234,871 shares that had been borrowed and sold by various forward sellers during fiscal 2019 under the November 2018 ATM for net proceeds of $213.6 million. As of March 31, 2020, the February 2020 ATM program had approximately $855 million of equity available for issuance.

On November 30, 2018, we filed a prospectus supplement under the 2018 Registration Statement relating to an underwriting agreement to sell 5,390,836 shares of our common stock for $500 million. After expenses, net proceeds from the offering were $494.1 million. Concurrently, we entered into separate forward sales agreements with two forward sellers who borrowed and sold 2,668,464 shares of our common stock at an aggregate price of $247.5 million. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, we settled the remaining 485,189 shares under these forward sale agreements for net proceeds of $44.4 million.

During the six months ended March 31, 2019, we executed forward sales under the November 2018 ATM with various forward sellers who borrowed and sold 1,670,509 shares of our common stock at a weighted average price of $95.46 per share.

If we had settled all shares that remain available under our outstanding forward sale agreements as of March 31, 2020, we would have received proceeds of $418.6 million, based on a net price of $110.13 per share. Additional details are presented below.

Issue Quarter	Issued Under	Shares Available	Net Proceeds Available (In thousands)		Maturity	Forward Price
June 30, 2019	ATM	486,201	$	48,819	9/30/2020	$	100.41
September 30, 2019	ATM	1,423,599	153,426		9/30/2020	$	107.77
December 31, 2019	ATM	339,574	36,218		9/30/2020	$	106.66
March 31, 2020	ATM	1,551,283	180,117		9/30/2020 3/31/2021	$	116.11
Total		3,800,657	$	418,580

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

We record deferred gains (losses) in AOCI related to available-for-sale debt securities and interest rate agreement cash flow hedges. Deferred gains (losses) for our available-for-sale debt securities are recognized in earnings upon settlement, while deferred gains (losses) related to our interest rate agreement cash flow hedges are recognized in earnings as they are amortized. The following tables provide the components of our accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) balances, net of the related tax effects allocated to each component of other comprehensive income (loss).

	Available- for-Sale Securities			Interest Rate Agreement Cash Flow Hedges			Total
	(In thousands)
September 30, 2019	$	132		$	(114,715	)	$	(114,583	)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications	(163		)	—			(163		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	(1		)	2,106			2,105
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	(164		)	2,106			1,942
March 31, 2020	$	(32	)	$	(112,609	)	$	(112,641	)

	Available- for-Sale Securities			Interest Rate Agreement Cash Flow Hedges			Total
	(In thousands)
September 30, 2018	$	8,124		$	(91,771	)	$	(83,647	)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	97			(25,966		)	(25,869		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—			916			916
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	97			(25,050		)	(24,953		)
Cumulative effect of accounting change	(8,210		)	—			(8,210		)
March 31, 2019	$	11		$	(116,821	)	$	(116,810	)

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Earnings Per Share

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share

We use the two-class method of computing earnings per share because we have participating securities in the form of non-vested restricted stock units with a nonforfeitable right to dividend equivalents, for which vesting is predicated solely on the passage of time. The calculation of earnings per share using the two-class method excludes income attributable to these participating securities from the numerator and excludes the dilutive impact of those shares from the denominator. Basic weighted average shares outstanding is calculated based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the periods presented. Also, this calculation includes fully vested stock awards that have not yet been issued as common stock. Additionally, the weighted average shares outstanding for diluted EPS includes the incremental effects of the forward sale agreements, discussed in Note 8 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, when the impact is dilutive. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are calculated as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31				Six Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019		2020		2019
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Basic Earnings Per Share
Net income	$	239,646	$	214,888	$	418,319	$	372,534
Less: Income allocated to participating securities	178		170		314		301
Income available to common shareholders	$	239,468	$	214,718	$	418,005	$	372,233
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	122,916		117,581		122,015		115,690
Net income per share — Basic	$	1.95	$	1.83	$	3.43	$	3.22
Diluted Earnings Per Share
Income available to common shareholders	$	239,468	$	214,718	$	418,005	$	372,233
Effect of dilutive shares	—		—		—		—
Income available to common shareholders	$	239,468	$	214,718	$	418,005	$	372,233
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	122,916		117,581		122,015		115,690
Dilutive shares	81		175		164		104
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	122,997		117,756		122,179		115,794
Net income per share - Diluted	$	1.95	$	1.82	$	3.42	$	3.21

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Fair Value Measurements

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

We report certain assets and liabilities at fair value, which is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). We record cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable at carrying value, which substantially approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. For other financial assets and liabilities, we primarily use quoted market prices and other observable market pricing information to minimize the use of unobservable pricing inputs in our measurements when determining fair value. The methods used to determine fair value for our assets and liabilities are fully described in Note 2 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, there were no changes in these methods.

Fair value measurements also apply to the valuation of our pension and postretirement plan assets. Current accounting guidance requires employers to annually disclose information about fair value measurements of the assets of a defined benefit pension or other postretirement plan. The fair value of these assets is presented in Note 8 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Quantitative Disclosures

Financial Instruments

The classification of our fair value measurements requires judgment regarding the degree to which market data is observable or corroborated by observable market data. Authoritative accounting literature establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value based on observable and unobservable data. The hierarchy categorizes the inputs into three levels, with the highest priority given to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1), with the lowest priority given to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The following tables summarize, by level within the fair value hierarchy, our assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019. Assets and liabilities are categorized in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)(1)		Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Netting and Cash Collateral		March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	882	$	—	$	—	$	882
Debt and equity securities
Registered investment companies	35,839		—		—		—		35,839
Bond mutual funds	25,905		—		—		—		25,905
Bonds(2)	—		32,520		—		—		32,520
Money market funds	—		1,815		—		—		1,815
Total debt and equity securities	61,744		34,335		—		—		96,079
Total assets	$	61,744	$	35,217	$	—	$	—	$	96,961
Liabilities:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	1,714	$	—	$	—	$	1,714

	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)(1)		Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Netting and Cash Collateral		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	1,811	$	—	$	—	$	1,811
Debt and equity securities
Registered investment companies	41,406		—		—		—		41,406
Bond mutual funds	25,966		—		—		—		25,966
Bonds(2)	—		31,915		—		—		31,915
Money market funds	—		2,596		—		—		2,596
Total debt and equity securities	67,372		34,511		—		—		101,883
Total assets	$	67,372	$	36,322	$	—	$	—	$	103,694
Liabilities:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	5,801	$	—	$	—	$	5,801

(1) Our Level 2 measurements consist of over-the-counter options and swaps, which are valued using a market-based approach in which observable market prices are adjusted for criteria specific to each instrument, such as the strike price, notional amount or basis differences, municipal and corporate bonds, which are valued based on the most recent available quoted market prices and money market funds that are valued at cost.

(2) Our investments in bonds are considered available-for-sale debt securities in accordance with current accounting guidance.

Debt and equity securities are comprised of our available-for-sale debt securities and our equity securities. We regularly evaluate the performance of our available-for-sale debt securities on an investment by investment basis for impairment, taking into consideration the investment’s purpose, volatility and current returns. If a determination is made that a decline in fair value is other than temporary, the related investment is written down to its estimated fair value and the other-than-temporary impairment is recognized in the statement of comprehensive income. At March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, the amortized cost of our available-for-sale debt securities was $32.6 million and $31.7 million. At March 31, 2020, we maintained investments in bonds that have contractual maturity dates ranging from April 2020 through September 2022.

Other Fair Value Measures

Our long-term debt is recorded at carrying value. The fair value of our long-term debt, excluding finance leases, is determined using third party market value quotations, which are considered Level 1 fair value measurements for debt instruments with a recent, observable trade or Level 2 fair value measurements for debt instruments where fair value is determined using the most recent available quoted market price. The carrying value of our finance leases materially

approximates fair value. The following table presents the carrying value and fair value of our long-term debt, excluding finance leases, as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Carrying Amount	$	4,360,000	$	3,560,000
Fair Value	$	4,863,851	$	4,216,249

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Fair Value Measurements - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Schedule of Available For Sale Securities [Abstract]
Cost Basis	$ 32.6	$ 31.7

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Financial Instruments - Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Net Financial Instruments, Assets	$ 882	$ 1,811
Net Financial Instruments, Liabilities	(1,714)	(5,801)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Gross Financial Instruments, Assets	882	1,811
Gross Financial Instruments, Liabilities	(1,714)	(5,801)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Other Current Assets | Commodity contracts
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Gross Financial Instruments, Assets	880	1,586
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Other Current Liabilities | Commodity contracts
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Gross Financial Instruments, Liabilities	(1,714)	(4,552)
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Deferred Charges and Other Assets | Commodity contracts
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Gross Financial Instruments, Assets	2	225
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities | Commodity contracts
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Gross Financial Instruments, Liabilities	$ 0	$ (1,249)

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Unaudited Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Regulatory Asset [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	$ 266,508	$ 284,547
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	1,458,701	1,386,126
Regulatory excess deferred taxes
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	715,807	726,307
Regulatory excess deferred taxes | Other Current Liabilities
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	$ 21,400	21,200
Regulatory excess deferred taxes | Other Current Liabilities | Minimum
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Return basis, term	15 years
Regulatory excess deferred taxes | Other Current Liabilities | Maximum
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Return basis, term	46 years
Regulatory cost of service reserve
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	$ 3,770	5,238
Regulatory cost of removal obligation
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	521,319	528,893
Deferred gas costs
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	115,112	14,112
Asset retirement obligation
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	17,054	17,054
APT annual adjustment mechanism
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	68,048	78,402
Other
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	17,591	16,120
Pension and postretirement benefit costs
Regulatory Asset [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	80,955	86,089
Infrastructure mechanisms
Regulatory Asset [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	142,075	131,894
Deferred gas costs
Regulatory Asset [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	0	23,766
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt
Regulatory Asset [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	5,652	6,551
Deferred pipeline record collection costs
Regulatory Asset [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	27,811	26,418
Rate case costs
Regulatory Asset [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	2,250	1,346
Other
Regulatory Asset [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	$ 7,765	$ 8,483

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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
ASSETS
Property, plant and equipment	$ 15,044,831	$ 14,180,593
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	2,496,591	2,392,924
Net property, plant and equipment	12,548,240	11,787,669
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	320,099	24,550
Accounts receivable, net	377,817	230,571
Gas stored underground	68,061	130,138
Other current assets	63,584	72,772
Total current assets	829,561	458,031
Goodwill	730,706	730,706
Deferred charges and other assets	607,891	391,213
Total assets	14,716,398	13,367,619
Shareholders’ equity
Common stock, no par value (stated at $0.005 per share); 200,000,000 shares authorized; issued and outstanding: March 31, 2020 — 122,308,725 shares; September 30, 2019 — 119,338,925 shares	612	597
Additional paid-in capital	3,986,187	3,712,194
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(112,641)	(114,583)
Retained earnings	2,430,257	2,152,015
Shareholders’ equity	6,304,415	5,750,223
Long-term debt	4,328,866	3,529,452
Total capitalization	10,633,281	9,279,675
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	190,088	265,024
Other current liabilities	543,248	479,501
Short-term debt	199,923	464,915
Current maturities of long-term debt	131	0
Total current liabilities	933,390	1,209,440
Deferred income taxes	1,421,779	1,300,015
Regulatory excess deferred taxes	694,433	705,101
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	448,681	473,172
Deferred credits and other liabilities	584,834	400,216
Total shareholders' equity and liabilities	$ 14,716,398	$ 13,367,619

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Leases - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2020	Oct. 01, 2019
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Right-of-use asset			$ 222,653
Operating lease liabilities			$ 231,045
Lease and rental expense	$ 10,300	$ 20,300
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Right-of-use asset				$ 231,300
Operating lease liabilities				231,300
Accrued and prepaid rent reclassified				6,500
Deferred rent credits and other liabilities reclassified				$ 2,500

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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income	$ 418,319	$ 372,534
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense	210,978	192,837
Deferred income taxes	110,664	96,885
Other	7,144	5,334
Net assets / liabilities from risk management activities	1,310	(333)
Net change in operating assets and liabilities	(114,640)	(106,428)
Net cash provided by operating activities	633,775	560,829
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	(994,737)	(777,586)
Proceeds from the sale of discontinued operations	0	4,000
Debt and equity securities activities, net	(1,131)	777
Other, net	4,631	4,388
Net cash used in investing activities	(991,237)	(768,421)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Net decrease in short-term debt	(264,992)	(575,780)
Net proceeds from equity offering	258,047	494,085
Issuance of common stock through stock purchase and employee retirement plans	8,321	10,344
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	799,450	1,045,221
Settlement of interest rate swaps	0	(90,141)
Repayment of long-term debt	0	(450,000)
Cash dividends paid	(140,077)	(120,328)
Debt issuance costs	(7,738)	(11,227)
Net cash provided by financing activities	653,011	302,174
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	295,549	94,582
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,550	13,771
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 320,099	$ 108,353

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Concentration of Credit Risk

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]

Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentration of Credit Risk

Information regarding our concentration of credit risk is disclosed in Note 17 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, there were no material changes in our concentration of credit risk.

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Interim Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Information

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Retirement Benefits, Description [Abstract]

Interim Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Information

Interim Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Information

The components of our net periodic pension cost for our pension and other postretirement benefit plans for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are presented in the following tables. Most of these costs are recoverable through our tariff rates. A portion of these costs is capitalized into our rate base or deferred as a regulatory asset or liability. The remaining costs are recorded as a component of operation and maintenance expense or other non-operating expense.

	Three Months Ended March 31
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2020			2019			2020			2019
	(In thousands)
Components of net periodic pension cost:
Service cost	$	4,652		$	4,045		$	3,366		$	2,703
Interest cost(1)	5,843			6,801			2,653			2,958
Expected return on assets(1)	(7,079		)	(7,113		)	(2,625		)	(2,665		)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)(1)	(58		)	(58		)	43			44
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss(1)	3,242			1,607			(334		)	(2,044		)
Net periodic pension cost	$	6,600		$	5,282		$	3,103		$	996

	Six Months Ended March 31
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2020			2019			2020			2019
	(In thousands)
Components of net periodic pension cost:
Service cost	$	9,305		$	8,090		$	6,733		$	5,405
Interest cost(1)	11,686			13,600			5,306			5,919
Expected return on assets(1)	(14,158		)	(14,226		)	(5,249		)	(5,330		)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)(1)	(116		)	(116		)	87			87
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss(1)	6,483			3,215			(669		)	(4,089		)
Net periodic pension cost	$	13,200		$	10,563		$	6,208		$	1,992

(1) The components of net periodic cost other than the service cost component are included in the line item other non-operating expense in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income or are capitalized on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as a regulatory asset or liability, as described in Note 2 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

The amount of funding required for our defined benefit plan is determined in accordance with the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) and is influenced by the funded position of the plan when the funding requirements are determined on January 1 of each year. Based upon the determination as of January 1, 2020, we are not required to make a minimum contribution to our defined benefit plan during fiscal 2020. However, we may consider whether a voluntary contribution is prudent to maintain certain funding levels.

For the six months ended March 31, 2020 we contributed $7.4 million to our postretirement medical plans. We anticipate contributing a total of between $10 million and $20 million to our postretirement plans during fiscal 2020.

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Revenue

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenue

Revenue

Our revenue recognition policy is fully described in Note 2 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. The following tables disaggregate our revenue from contracts with customers by customer type and segment and provide a reconciliation to total operating revenues, including intersegment revenues, for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020					Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage			Distribution			Pipeline and Storage
	(In thousands)
Gas sales revenues:
Residential	$	596,315	$	—		$	695,827		$	—
Commercial	230,779		—			278,945			—
Industrial	25,628		—			35,887			—
Public authority and other	14,662		—			17,087			—
Total gas sales revenues	867,384		—			1,027,746			—
Transportation revenues	28,504		154,748			27,682			142,270
Miscellaneous revenues	6,986		1,335			7,364			2,773
Revenues from contracts with customers	902,874		156,083			1,062,792			145,043
Alternative revenue program revenues(1)	29,638		(9,846		)	(5,397		)	(9,393		)
Other revenues	493		—			494			—
Total operating revenues	$	933,005	$	146,237		$	1,057,889		$	135,650

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020					Six Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage			Distribution			Pipeline and Storage
	(In thousands)
Gas sales revenues:
Residential	$	1,148,391	$	—		$	1,243,755		$	—
Commercial	442,093		—			497,883			—
Industrial	50,553		—			70,424			—
Public authority and other	27,684		—			30,372			—
Total gas sales revenues	1,668,721		—			1,842,434			—
Transportation revenues	55,144		306,758			53,082			289,694
Miscellaneous revenues	13,772		6,490			14,314			4,455
Revenues from contracts with customers	1,737,637		313,248			1,909,830			294,149
Alternative revenue program revenues(1)	22,887		(18,835		)	(14,136		)	(24,029		)
Other revenues	985		—			1,030			—
Total operating revenues	$	1,761,509	$	294,413		$	1,896,724		$	270,120

(1)

In our distribution segment, we have weather-normalization adjustment mechanisms that serve to minimize the effects of weather on our revenue. Additionally, APT has a regulatory mechanism that requires that we share with its tariffed customers 75% of the difference between the total non-tariffed revenues earned during a test period and a revenue benchmark.

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Fair Value Measurements - Schedule of Debt Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Carrying Amount	$ 4,360,000	$ 3,560,000
Fair Value	$ 4,863,851	$ 4,216,249

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Financial Instruments - Schedule of Cash Flow Hedges Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Increase (decrease) in fair value:
Interest rate agreements	$ 0	$ (3,250)	$ 0	$ (25,966)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Interest rate agreements	1,053	458	2,106	916
Total other comprehensive income (loss) from hedging, net of tax	$ 1,053	$ (2,792)	$ 2,106	$ (25,050)

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Leases - Future minimum lease payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
2020	$ 21,017
2021	20,416
2022	19,370
2023	18,071
2024	15,718
Thereafter	105,544
Total minimum lease payments	200,136
2020	243
2021	248
2022	253
2023	258
2024	263
Thereafter	4,343
Total minimum lease payments	5,608
Less amount representing interest	3,018
Present value of net minimum lease payments	2,590
Fleet Leases Renewed Beyond Initial Lease Term
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
2020	17,600
2021	18,000
2022	11,800
2023	8,500
2024	5,400
Thereafter	$ 2,700

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Shareholders' Equity - Schedule of AOCI (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Oct. 01, 2018
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Shareholders' equity, beginning balance	$ 6,127,775	$ 5,750,223	$ 5,348,195	$ 4,769,951	$ 5,750,223	$ 4,769,951
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications					(163)	(25,869)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income					2,105	916
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	890	1,052	(2,695)	(22,258)	1,942	(24,953)
Cumulative effect of accounting change							$ (8,210)
Shareholders' equity, ending balance	6,304,415	6,127,775	5,508,101	5,348,195	6,304,415	5,508,101
Available- for-Sale Securities
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Shareholders' equity, beginning balance		132		8,124	132	8,124
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications					(163)	97
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income					(1)	0
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)					(164)	97
Cumulative effect of accounting change							(8,210)
Shareholders' equity, ending balance	(32)		11		(32)	11
Interest Rate Agreement Cash Flow Hedges
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Shareholders' equity, beginning balance		(114,715)		(91,771)	(114,715)	(91,771)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications					0	(25,966)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income					2,106	916
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)					2,106	(25,050)
Cumulative effect of accounting change							0
Shareholders' equity, ending balance	(112,609)		(116,821)		(112,609)	(116,821)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Shareholders' equity, beginning balance	(113,531)	(114,583)	(114,115)	(83,647)	(114,583)	(83,647)
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	890	1,052	(2,695)	(22,258)
Cumulative effect of accounting change							$ (8,210)
Shareholders' equity, ending balance	$ (112,641)	$ (113,531)	$ (116,810)	$ (114,115)	$ (112,641)	$ (116,810)

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Shareholders' Equity (Table)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Equity [Abstract]

Reconciliation of Changes in Stockholders Equity

The following tables present a reconciliation of changes in stockholders' equity for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

	Common stock			Additional Paid-in Capital		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Retained Earnings			Total
	Number of Shares	Stated Value
	(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Balance, September 30, 2019	119,338,925	$	597	$	3,712,194	$	(114,583	)	$	2,152,015		$	5,750,223
Net income	—	—		—		—			178,673			178,673
Other comprehensive income	—	—		—		1,052			—			1,052
Cash dividends ($0.575 per share)	—	—		—		—			(69,557		)	(69,557		)
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	2,758,929	13		263,259		—			—			263,272
Stock-based compensation plans	164,549	1		4,111		—			—			4,112
Balance, December 31, 2019	122,262,403	611		3,979,564		(113,531		)	2,261,131			6,127,775
Net income	—	—		—		—			239,646			239,646
Other comprehensive income	—	—		—		890			—			890
Cash dividends ($0.575 per share)	—	—		—		—			(70,520		)	(70,520		)
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	38,662	1		3,095		—			—			3,096
Stock-based compensation plans	7,660	—		3,528		—			—			3,528
Balance, March 31, 2020	122,308,725	$	612	$	3,986,187	$	(112,641	)	$	2,430,257		$	6,304,415

	Common stock			Additional Paid-in Capital		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Retained Earnings			Total
	Number of Shares	Stated Value
	(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Balance, September 30, 2018	111,273,683	$	556	$	2,974,926	$	(83,647	)	$	1,878,116		$	4,769,951
Net income	—	—		—		—			157,646			157,646
Other comprehensive loss	—	—		—		(22,258		)	—			(22,258		)
Cash dividends ($0.525 per share)	—	—		—		—			(58,722		)	(58,722		)
Cumulative effect of accounting change	—	—		—		(8,210		)	8,210			—
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	5,434,812	27		498,948		—			—			498,975
Stock-based compensation plans	184,464	1		2,602		—			—			2,603
Balance, December 31, 2018	116,892,959	584		3,476,476		(114,115		)	1,985,250			5,348,195
Net income	—	—		—		—			214,888			214,888
Other comprehensive loss	—	—		—		(2,695		)	—			(2,695		)
Cash dividends ($0.525 per share)	—	—		—		—			(61,606		)	(61,606		)
Common stock issued:
Public and other stock offerings	61,006	1		5,453		—			—			5,454
Stock-based compensation plans	28,938	—		3,865		—			—			3,865
Balance, March 31, 2019	116,982,903	$	585	$	3,485,794	$	(116,810	)	$	2,138,532		$	5,508,101

Summary of Forward Sales Agreements

Additional details are presented below.

Issue Quarter	Issued Under	Shares Available	Net Proceeds Available (In thousands)		Maturity	Forward Price
June 30, 2019	ATM	486,201	$	48,819	9/30/2020	$	100.41
September 30, 2019	ATM	1,423,599	153,426		9/30/2020	$	107.77
December 31, 2019	ATM	339,574	36,218		9/30/2020	$	106.66
March 31, 2020	ATM	1,551,283	180,117		9/30/2020 3/31/2021	$	116.11
Total		3,800,657	$	418,580

Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The following tables provide the components of our accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) balances, net of the related tax effects allocated to each component of other comprehensive income (loss).

	Available- for-Sale Securities			Interest Rate Agreement Cash Flow Hedges			Total
	(In thousands)
September 30, 2019	$	132		$	(114,715	)	$	(114,583	)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications	(163		)	—			(163		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	(1		)	2,106			2,105
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	(164		)	2,106			1,942
March 31, 2020	$	(32	)	$	(112,609	)	$	(112,641	)

	Available- for-Sale Securities			Interest Rate Agreement Cash Flow Hedges			Total
	(In thousands)
September 30, 2018	$	8,124		$	(91,771	)	$	(83,647	)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	97			(25,966		)	(25,869		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—			916			916
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	97			(25,050		)	(24,953		)
Cumulative effect of accounting change	(8,210		)	—			(8,210		)
March 31, 2019	$	11		$	(116,821	)	$	(116,810	)

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Earnings Per Share (Table)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted

Basic and diluted earnings per share for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are calculated as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31				Six Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019		2020		2019
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Basic Earnings Per Share
Net income	$	239,646	$	214,888	$	418,319	$	372,534
Less: Income allocated to participating securities	178		170		314		301
Income available to common shareholders	$	239,468	$	214,718	$	418,005	$	372,233
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	122,916		117,581		122,015		115,690
Net income per share — Basic	$	1.95	$	1.83	$	3.43	$	3.22
Diluted Earnings Per Share
Income available to common shareholders	$	239,468	$	214,718	$	418,005	$	372,233
Effect of dilutive shares	—		—		—		—
Income available to common shareholders	$	239,468	$	214,718	$	418,005	$	372,233
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	122,916		117,581		122,015		115,690
Dilutive shares	81		175		164		104
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	122,997		117,756		122,179		115,794
Net income per share - Diluted	$	1.95	$	1.82	$	3.42	$	3.21

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Financial Instruments

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Financial Instruments

Financial Instruments

We currently use financial instruments to mitigate commodity price risk and periodically to mitigate interest rate risk. The objectives and strategies for using financial instruments and the related accounting for these financial instruments are fully described in Notes 2 and 14 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, there were no material changes in our objectives, strategies and accounting for using financial instruments. Our financial instruments do not contain any credit-risk-related or other contingent features that could cause payments to be accelerated when our financial instruments are in net liability positions. The following summarizes those objectives and strategies.

Commodity Risk Management Activities

Our purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms essentially insulate our distribution segment from commodity price risk; however, our customers are exposed to the effects of volatile natural gas prices. We manage this exposure through a combination of physical storage, fixed-price forward contracts and financial instruments, primarily over-the-counter swap and option contracts, in an effort to minimize the impact of natural gas price volatility on our customers during the winter heating season.

We typically seek to hedge between 25 and 50 percent of anticipated heating season gas purchases using financial instruments. For the 2019-2020 heating season (generally October through March), in the jurisdictions where we are permitted to utilize financial instruments, we hedged approximately 49 percent, or 19.9 Bcf of the winter flowing gas requirements. We have not designated these financial instruments as hedges for accounting purposes.

Interest Rate Risk Management Activities

We manage interest rate risk by periodically entering into financial instruments to effectively fix the Treasury yield component of the interest cost associated with anticipated financings.

In April 2020, we entered into forward starting interest rate swaps to effectively fix the Treasury yield component associated with $500 million of a planned issuance of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2021 at 0.69% and $450 million of a planned issuance of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2022 at 1.33%, which we designated as cash flow hedges at the time the agreements were executed. Accordingly, unrealized gains and losses associated with the forward starting interest rate swaps will be recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). When the forward starting interest rate swaps settle, the realized gain or loss will be recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and recognized as a component of interest charges over the life of the related financing arrangement. Hedge ineffectiveness to the extent incurred, will be reported as a component of interest charges.

As of March 31, 2020, we had $112.6 million of net realized losses in AOCI associated with the settlement of financial instruments used to fix the Treasury yield component of the interest cost of financing various issuances of long-term debt and senior notes, which will be recognized as a component of interest charges over the life of the associated notes from the date of settlement. The remaining amortization periods for these settled amounts extend through fiscal 2049.

Quantitative Disclosures Related to Financial Instruments

The following tables present detailed information concerning the impact of financial instruments on our condensed consolidated balance sheet and statements of comprehensive income.

As of March 31, 2020, our financial instruments were comprised of both long and short commodity positions. A long position is a contract to purchase the commodity, while a short position is a contract to sell the commodity. As of March 31, 2020, we had 4,510 MMcf of net long commodity contracts outstanding. These contracts have not been designated as hedges.

Financial Instruments on the Balance Sheet

The following tables present the fair value and balance sheet classification of our financial instruments as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019. The gross amounts of recognized assets and liabilities are netted within our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets to the extent that we have netting arrangements with our counterparties. However, for March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, no gross amounts and no cash collateral were netted within our consolidated balance sheet.

	Balance Sheet Location	Assets		Liabilities
		(In thousands)
March 31, 2020
Not Designated As Hedges:
Commodity contracts	Other current assets / Other current liabilities	$	880	$	(1,714	)
Commodity contracts	Deferred charges and other assets / Deferred credits and other liabilities	2		—
Total		882		(1,714		)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments		$	882	$	(1,714	)

	Balance Sheet Location	Assets		Liabilities
		(In thousands)
September 30, 2019
Not Designated As Hedges:
Commodity contracts	Other current assets / Other current liabilities	$	1,586	$	(4,552	)
Commodity contracts	Deferred charges and other assets / Deferred credits and other liabilities	225		(1,249		)
Total		1,811		(5,801		)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments		$	1,811	$	(5,801	)

 

Impact of Financial Instruments on the Statement of Comprehensive Income

Cash Flow Hedges

As discussed above, in the past our distribution segment had interest rate agreements, which we designated as cash flow hedges at the time the agreements were executed. The net loss on settled interest rate agreements reclassified from AOCI into interest charges on our condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 was $1.4 million and $0.6 million and for the six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 was $2.7 million and $1.2 million.

The following table summarizes the gains and losses arising from hedging transactions that were recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes, for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. The amounts included in the table below exclude gains and losses arising from ineffectiveness because those amounts are immediately recognized in the statement of comprehensive income as incurred.

	Three Months Ended March 31					Six Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019			2020		2019
	(In thousands)
Increase (decrease) in fair value:
Interest rate agreements	$	—	$	(3,250	)	$	—	$	(25,966	)
Recognition of losses in earnings due to settlements:
Interest rate agreements	1,053		458			2,106		916
Total other comprehensive income (loss) from hedging, net of tax	$	1,053	$	(2,792	)	$	2,106	$	(25,050	)

Deferred gains (losses) recorded in AOCI associated with our interest rate agreements are recognized in earnings as they are amortized over the terms of the underlying debt instruments. The following amounts, net of deferred taxes, represent the expected recognition in earnings, as of March 31, 2020, of the deferred losses recorded in AOCI associated with our financial instruments, based upon the fair values of these financial instruments at the date of settlement.

	Interest Rate Agreements
	(In thousands)
Next twelve months	$	(4,212	)
Thereafter	(108,397		)
Total	$	(112,609	)

Financial Instruments Not Designated as Hedges

As discussed above, commodity contracts which are used in our distribution segment are not designated as hedges. However, there is no earnings impact on our distribution segment as a result of the use of these financial instruments because the gains and losses arising from the use of these financial instruments are recognized in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as a component of purchased gas cost when the related costs are recovered through our rates and recognized in revenue. Accordingly, the impact of these financial instruments is excluded from this presentation.

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Debt

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt

Debt

The nature and terms of our debt instruments and credit facilities are described in detail in Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. Other than as described below, there were no material changes in the terms of our debt instruments during the six months ended March 31, 2020.

Long-term debt at March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 consisted of the following:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Unsecured 3.00% Senior Notes, due 2027	$	500,000	$	500,000
Unsecured 2.625% Senior Notes, due 2029	300,000		—
Unsecured 5.95% Senior Notes, due 2034	200,000		200,000
Unsecured 5.50% Senior Notes, due 2041	400,000		400,000
Unsecured 4.15% Senior Notes, due 2043	500,000		500,000
Unsecured 4.125% Senior Notes, due 2044	750,000		750,000
Unsecured 4.30% Senior Notes, due 2048	600,000		600,000
Unsecured 4.125% Senior Notes, due 2049	450,000		450,000
Unsecured 3.375% Senior Notes, due 2049	500,000		—
Medium-term note Series A, 1995-1, 6.67%, due 2025	10,000		10,000
Unsecured 6.75% Debentures, due 2028	150,000		150,000
Finance lease obligations (see Note 6)	6,666		—
Total long-term debt	4,366,666		3,560,000
Less:
Original issue (premium) / discount on unsecured senior notes and debentures	663		193
Debt issuance cost	37,006		30,355
Current maturities	131		—
	$	4,328,866	$	3,529,452

On April 9, 2020, we entered into a two year, $200 million term loan agreement. Borrowings under the term loan may be repaid on or after April 9, 2021 and will bear interest at a rate of LIBOR plus 1.25 percent. The term loan was used to pay down all of our outstanding commercial paper.

On October 2, 2019, we completed a public offering of $300 million of 2.625% senior notes due 2029 and $500 million of 3.375% senior notes due 2049. We received net proceeds from the offering, after the underwriting discount and offering expenses, of $791.7 million, that were used for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of borrowings pursuant to our commercial paper program. The effective interest rate on these notes is 2.72% and 3.42%, after giving effect to the offering costs.

Short-term debt

We utilize short-term debt to 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 with an equity-to-total-capitalization ratio between 50% and 60%, inclusive of long-term and short-term debt. Our short-term borrowing requirements are driven primarily by construction work in progress and the seasonal nature of the natural gas business. Changes in the price of natural gas and the amount of natural gas we need to supply our customers’ needs could significantly affect our borrowing requirements. Our short-term borrowings typically reach their highest levels in the winter months.

As of March 31, 2020, our short-term borrowing requirements were satisfied through a combination of a $1.5 billion commercial paper program and three committed revolving credit facilities with third-party lenders that provide approximately $1.5 billion of total working capital funding.

The primary source of our funding is our commercial paper program, which is supported by a five-year unsecured $1.5 billion credit facility that expires on September 25, 2023. The facility bears interest at a base rate or at a LIBOR-based rate for the applicable interest period, plus a margin ranging from zero percent to 1.25 percent, based on the Company’s credit ratings. Additionally, the facility contains a $250 million accordion feature, which provides the opportunity to increase the total committed loan to $1.75 billion. At March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, a total of $199.9 million and $464.9 million was outstanding under our commercial paper program.

Additionally, we had a $25 million 364-day unsecured facility that was available to provide working capital funding. There were no borrowings outstanding under this facility as of March 31, 2020. This facility was renewed effective April 1, 2020 and was increased to $50 million.

Finally, we had a $10 million 364-day unsecured revolving credit facility, which was used primarily to issue letters of credit. At March 31, 2020, there were no borrowings outstanding under the facility; however, outstanding letters of credit reduced the total amount available to us under our $10 million facility to $4.4 million. On April 30, 2020, we executed a new $50 million 364-day unsecured revolving credit facility which replaced this facility.

On April 23, 2020, we executed a new $600 million 364-day unsecured revolving credit facility to provide additional working capital funding. The facility bears interest at a base rate or at a LIBOR-based rate for the applicable interest period, plus a margin ranging from zero percent to 1.25 percent, based on the Company's credit ratings.

Following the completion of the new facilities and the amendment to our existing facility in April 2020, our short term borrowing requirements are now satisfied through a combination of a $1.5 billion commercial paper program and four committed revolving credit facilities with third-party lenders that provide approximately $2.2 billion of total working capital funding.

Debt covenants

The availability of funds under these credit facilities is subject to conditions specified in the respective credit agreements, all of which we currently satisfy. These conditions include our compliance with financial covenants and the continued accuracy of representations and warranties contained in these agreements. We are required by the financial covenants in each of these facilities to maintain, at the end of each fiscal quarter, a ratio of total-debt-to-total-capitalization of no greater than 70 percent. At March 31, 2020, our total-debt-to-total-capitalization ratio, as defined in the agreements, was 44 percent. In addition, both the interest margin and the fee that we pay on unused amounts under certain of these facilities are subject to adjustment depending upon our credit ratings.

These credit facilities and our public indentures contain usual and customary covenants for our business, including covenants substantially limiting liens, substantial asset sales and mergers. Additionally, our public debt indentures relating to our senior notes and debentures, as well as certain of our revolving credit agreements, each contain a default provision that is triggered if outstanding indebtedness arising out of any other credit agreements in amounts ranging from in excess of $15 million to in excess of $100 million becomes due by acceleration or if not paid at maturity. We were in compliance with all of

our debt covenants as of March 31, 2020. If we were unable to comply with our debt covenants, we would likely be required to repay our outstanding balances on demand, provide additional collateral or take other corrective actions.

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Leases - Income statement presentation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020
Lessee, Finance Lease, Description [Abstract]
Finance lease cost	$ 105	$ 178
Operating lease cost	10,166	20,091
Total lease cost	$ 10,271	$ 20,269

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Unaudited Financial Information

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Unaudited Financial Information

Unaudited Financial Information

These consolidated interim-period financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States on the same basis, aside from accounting policy changes noted below, as those used for the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. In the opinion of management, all material adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation have been made to the unaudited consolidated interim-period financial statements. These consolidated interim-period financial statements are condensed as permitted by the instructions to Form 10-Q and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements of Atmos Energy Corporation included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. Because of seasonal and other factors, the results of operations for the six-month period ended March 31, 2020 are not indicative of our results of operations for the full 2020 fiscal year, which ends September 30, 2020.

Except as noted below related to recent ratemaking activity, in Note 7 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements regarding recent financing activity and in Note 11 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements regarding new cash flow hedges, no events have occurred subsequent to the balance sheet date that would require recognition or disclosure in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Significant accounting policies

Our accounting policies are described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

During the second quarter of fiscal 2020, we completed our annual goodwill impairment assessment using a qualitative assessment, as permitted under U.S. GAAP. We test goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit. Based on the assessment performed, we determined that our goodwill was not impaired.

Accounting pronouncements adopted in fiscal 2020

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a comprehensive new leasing standard that requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use (ROU) asset for all leases, including operating leases on its balance sheet. The new standard was effective for us beginning on October 1, 2019. See Note 6 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for further details regarding our adoption of the new lease standard and the related disclosures.

Accounting pronouncements that will be effective after fiscal 2020

In March 2020, the FASB issued optional guidance which will ease the potential burden in accounting for or recognizing the effects of reference rate reform on financial reporting. The amendments provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions affected by the cessation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). The amendments can be elected immediately, as of March 12, 2020, through December 31, 2022. We are currently evaluating if we will apply the optional guidance as we assess the impact of the cessation of LIBOR on our current contracts and hedging relationships and the potential impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

In December 2019, the FASB issued new guidance related to accounting for income taxes which removes certain exceptions for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intraperiod allocations and calculating income taxes in interim periods. The new standard also adds guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas, such as recognizing deferred taxes for tax goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. The new standard will be effective for us beginning on October 1, 2021; early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of this new guidance on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. 

In June 2016, the FASB issued new guidance which will require credit losses on most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments to be measured using an expected credit loss model. Under this model, entities will estimate credit losses over the entire contractual term of the instrument from the date of initial recognition of that instrument. In contrast, current U.S. GAAP is based on an incurred loss model that delays recognition of credit losses until it is probable the loss has been incurred. The new guidance also introduces a new impairment recognition model for available-for-sale debt securities that will require credit losses to be recorded through an allowance account. The new standard will be effective for us beginning on October 1, 2020. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of this new guidance on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. 

Regulatory assets and liabilities

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States require cost-based, rate-regulated entities that meet certain criteria to reflect the authorized recovery of costs due to regulatory decisions in their financial statements. As a result, certain costs are permitted to be capitalized rather than expensed because they can be recovered through rates. We record certain costs as regulatory assets when future recovery through customer rates is considered probable. Regulatory liabilities are recorded when it is probable that revenues will be reduced for amounts that will be credited to customers through the ratemaking process. Substantially all of our regulatory assets are recorded as a component of deferred charges and other assets and our regulatory liabilities are recorded as a component of other current liabilities and deferred credits and other liabilities. Deferred gas costs are recorded either in other current assets or liabilities and our regulatory excess deferred taxes and regulatory cost of removal obligation are reported separately.

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 included the following:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	80,955	$	86,089
Infrastructure mechanisms(1)	142,075		131,894
Deferred gas costs	—		23,766
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	5,652		6,551
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	27,811		26,418
Rate case costs	2,250		1,346
Other	7,765		8,483
	$	266,508	$	284,547
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes(2)	$	715,807	$	726,307
Regulatory cost of service reserve	3,770		5,238
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	521,319		528,893
Deferred gas costs	115,112		14,112
Asset retirement obligation	17,054		17,054
APT annual adjustment mechanism	68,048		78,402
Other	17,591		16,120
	$	1,458,701	$	1,386,126

(1) Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas and Louisiana allow for the deferral of all eligible expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, including the recording of interest on deferred expenses until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recoverable through base rates.

(2) The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "TCJA") resulted in the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base. Of this amount, $21.4 million as of March 31, 2020 and $21.2 million as of September 30, 2019 is recorded in other current liabilities. These liabilities are being returned to customers in most of our jurisdictions on a provisional basis over 15 to 46 years until formal orders establish the final refund periods.

Subsequent to March 31, 2020, we have received regulatory orders in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas (including APT) and Virginia to defer into a regulatory asset all expenses, beyond the normal course of business, related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19 or virus), including bad debt expense.

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Fair Value Measurements (Table)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis

The following tables summarize, by level within the fair value hierarchy, our assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019. Assets and liabilities are categorized in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)(1)		Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Netting and Cash Collateral		March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	882	$	—	$	—	$	882
Debt and equity securities
Registered investment companies	35,839		—		—		—		35,839
Bond mutual funds	25,905		—		—		—		25,905
Bonds(2)	—		32,520		—		—		32,520
Money market funds	—		1,815		—		—		1,815
Total debt and equity securities	61,744		34,335		—		—		96,079
Total assets	$	61,744	$	35,217	$	—	$	—	$	96,961
Liabilities:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	1,714	$	—	$	—	$	1,714

	Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)(1)		Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Netting and Cash Collateral		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	1,811	$	—	$	—	$	1,811
Debt and equity securities
Registered investment companies	41,406		—		—		—		41,406
Bond mutual funds	25,966		—		—		—		25,966
Bonds(2)	—		31,915		—		—		31,915
Money market funds	—		2,596		—		—		2,596
Total debt and equity securities	67,372		34,511		—		—		101,883
Total assets	$	67,372	$	36,322	$	—	$	—	$	103,694
Liabilities:
Financial instruments	$	—	$	5,801	$	—	$	—	$	5,801

(1) Our Level 2 measurements consist of over-the-counter options and swaps, which are valued using a market-based approach in which observable market prices are adjusted for criteria specific to each instrument, such as the strike price, notional amount or basis differences, municipal and corporate bonds, which are valued based on the most recent available quoted market prices and money market funds that are valued at cost.

(2)

Our investments in bonds are considered available-for-sale debt securities in accordance with current accounting guidance.

Schedule of Carrying Values and Estimated Fair Values of Long-Term Debt

The following table presents the carrying value and fair value of our long-term debt, excluding finance leases, as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Carrying Amount	$	4,360,000	$	3,560,000
Fair Value	$	4,863,851	$	4,216,249

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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Operating revenues	$ 977,665	$ 1,094,645	$ 1,853,228	$ 1,972,427
Purchased gas cost	317,883	471,676	614,751	813,841
Operation and maintenance expense	147,824	149,427	300,069	288,027
Depreciation and amortization expense	105,916	96,772	210,978	192,837
Taxes, other than income	74,604	79,093	143,211	143,581
Operating income	331,438	297,677	584,219	534,141
Other non-operating income (expense)	(2,989)	4,232	1,898	(3,491)
Interest charges	22,171	26,949	49,400	54,798
Income before income taxes	306,278	274,960	536,717	475,852
Income tax expense	66,632	60,072	118,398	103,318
Net income	$ 239,646	$ 214,888	$ 418,319	$ 372,534
Basic net income per share (USD per share)	$ 1.95	$ 1.83	$ 3.43	$ 3.22
Diluted net income per share (USD per share)	1.95	1.82	3.42	3.21
Cash dividends per share (USD per share)	$ 0.575	$ 0.525	$ 1.15	$ 1.05
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	122,916	117,581	122,015	115,690
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	122,997	117,756	122,179	115,794
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Net unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax of $(49) and $29	$ (163)	$ 97	$ (164)	$ 97
Cash flow hedges:
Amortization and unrealized loss on interest rate agreements, net of tax of $623 and $(7,405)	1,053	(2,792)	2,106	(25,050)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	890	(2,695)	1,942	(24,953)
Total comprehensive income	240,536	212,193	420,261	347,581
Distribution segment
Operating revenues	932,296	1,057,192	1,760,136	1,895,373
Pipeline and storage segment
Operating revenues	45,369	37,453	93,092	77,054
Operating Segments | Distribution segment
Operating revenues	933,005	1,057,889	1,761,509	1,896,724
Purchased gas cost	418,935	570,348	816,493	1,008,080
Operation and maintenance expense	115,851	117,621	230,203	223,388
Depreciation and amortization expense	76,265	69,904	152,339	139,613
Taxes, other than income	68,413	71,053	128,656	127,243
Operating income	253,541	228,963	433,818	398,400
Other non-operating income (expense)	(5,191)	5,263	(3,237)	(1,214)
Interest charges	10,797	15,896	27,159	34,106
Income before income taxes	237,553	218,330	403,422	363,080
Income tax expense	50,489	46,137	86,601	76,502
Net income	187,064	172,193	316,821	286,578
Operating Segments | Pipeline and storage segment
Operating revenues	146,237	135,650	294,413	270,120
Purchased gas cost	202	(90)	301	(448)
Operation and maintenance expense	32,296	32,118	70,517	65,265
Depreciation and amortization expense	29,651	26,868	58,639	53,224
Taxes, other than income	6,191	8,040	14,555	16,338
Operating income	77,897	68,714	150,401	135,741
Other non-operating income (expense)	2,202	(1,031)	5,135	(2,277)
Interest charges	11,374	11,053	22,241	20,692
Income before income taxes	68,725	56,630	133,295	112,772
Income tax expense	16,143	13,935	31,797	26,816
Net income	52,582	42,695	101,498	85,956
Intersegment eliminations
Operating revenues	(101,577)	(98,894)	(202,694)	(194,417)
Purchased gas cost	(101,254)	(98,582)	(202,043)	(193,791)
Operation and maintenance expense	(323)	(312)	(651)	(626)
Depreciation and amortization expense	0	0	0	0
Taxes, other than income	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Other non-operating income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Interest charges	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	0	0	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Net income	0	0	0	0
Intersegment eliminations | Distribution segment
Operating revenues	709	697	1,373	1,351
Intersegment eliminations | Pipeline and storage segment
Operating revenues	100,868	98,197	201,321	193,066
Natural Gas, US Regulated
Purchased gas cost	317,883	471,676	614,751	813,841
Natural Gas, US Regulated | Operating Segments | Distribution segment
Purchased gas cost	418,935	570,348	816,493	1,008,080
Natural Gas, US Regulated | Operating Segments | Pipeline and storage segment
Purchased gas cost	202	(90)	301	(448)
Natural Gas, US Regulated | Intersegment eliminations
Purchased gas cost	$ (101,254)	$ (98,582)	$ (202,043)	$ (193,791)

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Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Basic Earnings Per Share
Net income	$ 239,646	$ 178,673	$ 214,888	$ 157,646	$ 418,319	$ 372,534
Less: Income allocated to participating securities	178		170		314	301
Income available to common shareholders	$ 239,468		$ 214,718		$ 418,005	$ 372,233
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	122,916		117,581		122,015	115,690
Net income per share - Basic (USD per share)	$ 1.95		$ 1.83		$ 3.43	$ 3.22
Diluted Earnings Per Share
Income available to common shareholders	$ 239,468		$ 214,718		$ 418,005	$ 372,233
Effect of dilutive shares	0		0		0	0
Income available to common shareholders	$ 239,468		$ 214,718		$ 418,005	$ 372,233
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	122,916		117,581		122,015	115,690
Dilutive shares (in shares)	81		175		164	104
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	122,997		117,756		122,179	115,794
Net income per share - Diluted (USD per share)	$ 1.95		$ 1.82		$ 3.42	$ 3.21

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Fair Value Measurements - Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis (Details) - USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Netting and Cash Collateral	$ 0	$ 0
Financial instruments net assets	882,000	1,811,000
Debt and equity securities	96,079,000	101,883,000
Total assets	96,961,000	103,694,000
Netting and Cash Collateral	0	0
Financial instruments net liability	1,714,000	5,801,000
Registered investment companies
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	35,839,000	41,406,000
Bond mutual funds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	25,905,000	25,966,000
Bonds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	32,520,000	31,915,000
Money market funds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	1,815,000	2,596,000
Fair Value Inputs Level 1
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial instruments gross assets	0	0
Debt and equity securities	61,744,000	67,372,000
Total assets	61,744,000	67,372,000
Financial instruments gross liability	0	0
Fair Value Inputs Level 1 | Registered investment companies
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	35,839,000	41,406,000
Fair Value Inputs Level 1 | Bond mutual funds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	25,905,000	25,966,000
Fair Value Inputs Level 1 | Bonds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	0	0
Fair Value Inputs Level 1 | Money market funds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	0	0
Fair Value Inputs Level 2
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial instruments gross assets	882,000	1,811,000
Debt and equity securities	34,335,000	34,511,000
Total assets	35,217,000	36,322,000
Financial instruments gross liability	1,714,000	5,801,000
Fair Value Inputs Level 2 | Registered investment companies
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	0	0
Fair Value Inputs Level 2 | Bond mutual funds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	0	0
Fair Value Inputs Level 2 | Bonds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	32,520,000	31,915,000
Fair Value Inputs Level 2 | Money market funds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	1,815,000	2,596,000
Fair Value Inputs Level 3
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial instruments gross assets	0	0
Debt and equity securities	0	0
Total assets	0	0
Financial instruments gross liability	0	0
Fair Value Inputs Level 3 | Registered investment companies
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	0	0
Fair Value Inputs Level 3 | Bond mutual funds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	0	0
Fair Value Inputs Level 3 | Bonds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt securities	0	0
Fair Value Inputs Level 3 | Money market funds
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Securities	$ 0	$ 0

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Financial Instruments - Narrative (Details)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) Bcf	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2021	Apr. 01, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)
Derivative [Line Items]
Net realized gain (loss) in AOCI	$ (112,600,000)		$ (112,600,000)
Contract Netting	0		0				$ 0
Cash collateral	0		0				$ 0
Net gain (loss) on settled interest rate agreements	$ (1,400,000)	$ (600,000)	$ (2,700,000)	$ (1,200,000)
Gas Purchases | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Commodity contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Hedging percent	49.00%		49.00%
Energy measure | Bcf			19.9
Gas Purchases | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Commodity contracts | Long
Derivative [Line Items]
Energy measure | Bcf			4.51
Minimum | Gas Purchases | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Commodity contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Hedging percent	25.00%		25.00%
Maximum | Gas Purchases | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Commodity contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Hedging percent	50.00%		50.00%
Subsequent Event | Designated as Hedging Instrument | Forward Interest Rate Swap 1
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount						$ 500,000,000
Subsequent Event | Designated as Hedging Instrument | Forward Interest Rate Swap 2
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount						$ 450,000,000
Forecast | Unsecured Senior Notes In Fiscal 2021
Derivative [Line Items]
Interest rate					0.69%
Forecast | Unsecured Senior Notes In Fiscal 2022
Derivative [Line Items]
Interest rate					1.33%

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Shareholders' Equity - Forward Sales Agreement (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares Available (in shares) | shares	3,800,657
Net Proceeds Available | $	$ 418,580
June 30, 2019
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares Available (in shares) | shares	486,201
Net Proceeds Available | $	$ 48,819
Forward Price (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 100.41
September 30, 2019
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares Available (in shares) | shares	1,423,599
Net Proceeds Available | $	$ 153,426
Forward Price (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 107.77
December 31, 2019
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares Available (in shares) | shares	339,574
Net Proceeds Available | $	$ 36,218
Forward Price (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 106.66
March 31, 2020
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares Available (in shares) | shares	1,551,283
Net Proceeds Available | $	$ 180,117
Forward Price (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 116.11

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Leases - Other pertinent information (Details) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
Operating cash flows used for operating leases	$ 18,223
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations, Finance leases	4,150
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations, Operating leases	$ 13,854

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Debt - Narrative (Details)					6 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Apr. 23, 2020 USD ($) credit_facility	Apr. 09, 2020 USD ($)	Oct. 02, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) credit_facility	Apr. 01, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity					$ 1,500,000,000
Short-term debt					$ 199,923,000		$ 464,915,000
Maximum debt-to-total-capitalization ratio					70.00%
Debt-to-total-capitalization ratio					0.44
Minimum
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Equity-to-total-capitalization ratio					50.00%
Outstanding indebtedness					$ 15,000,000
Maximum
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Equity-to-total-capitalization ratio					60.00%
Outstanding indebtedness					$ 100,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Number of credit facilities | credit_facility					3
Unsecured 2.625% Senior Notes, due 2029
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount				$ 300,000,000
Interest rate				2.625%	2.625%
Effective interest rate					2.72%
Unsecured 3.375% Senior Notes, due 2049
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount				$ 500,000,000
Interest rate				3.375%	3.375%
Debt issuance cost				$ 791,700,000
Effective interest rate					3.42%
Five Year Unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding commercial paper					$ 199,900,000		$ 464,900,000
Five Year Unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement | Commercial Paper
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity					$ 1,500,000,000
Debt agreement term					5 years
Accordion feature					$ 250,000,000
Maximum borrowing capacity post accordion feature					1,750,000,000
$25 Million Bank Loan Agreement | Line of Credit
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity					$ 25,000,000
Debt agreement term					364 days
Outstanding borrowings					$ 0
$10 Million Revolving Credit Note | Revolving Credit Facility
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity					$ 10,000,000
Debt agreement term					364 days
Remaining borrowing capacity					$ 4,400,000
LIBOR | Five Year Unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement | Commercial Paper | Minimum
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate spread					0.00%
LIBOR | Five Year Unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement | Commercial Paper | Maximum
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate spread					1.25%
Subsequent Event | Revolving Credit Facility
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 2,200,000,000
Number of credit facilities | credit_facility		4
Subsequent Event | $200 Million Term Loan Agreement
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt agreement term			2 years
Subsequent Event | Five Year Unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement | Commercial Paper
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	1,500,000,000
Subsequent Event | $50 Million Bank Loan Agreement | Line of Credit
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity						$ 50,000,000
Subsequent Event | $50 Million Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 50,000,000
Debt agreement term	364 days
Subsequent Event | $600 Million Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		$ 600,000,000
Debt agreement term		364 days
Subsequent Event | LIBOR | $600 Million Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility | Minimum
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate spread		0.00%
Subsequent Event | LIBOR | $600 Million Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility | Maximum
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate spread		1.25%
Secured Debt | Subsequent Event | $200 Million Term Loan Agreement
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount			$ 200,000,000
Secured Debt | Subsequent Event | LIBOR | $200 Million Term Loan Agreement
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate spread			1.25%

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Leases (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Leases [Abstract]

Other Pertinent Information Related to Leases

The following table represents our weighted average discount rate at March 31, 2020:

	March 31, 2020
Weighted average discount rate
Finance leases	6.95	%
Operating leases	2.92	%

The following table presents our weighted average remaining lease term for our leases.

	March 31, 2020
Weighted average remaining lease term (years)
Finance leases	19.45
Operating leases	10.72

For the three and six months ended March 31, 2020, we did not have material short-term lease costs or variable lease costs.

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020		Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Finance lease cost	$	105	$	178
Operating lease cost	10,166		20,091
Total lease cost	$	10,271	$	20,269

Our ROU assets and lease liabilities are presented as follows on the condensed consolidated balance sheets (unaudited):

	Balance Sheet Classification	March 31, 2020
		(In thousands)
Assets
Finance leases	Net Property, Plant and Equipment	$	6,631
Operating leases	Deferred charges and other assets	222,653
Total right-of-use assets		$	229,284
Liabilities
Current
Finance leases	Current maturities of long-term debt	$	131
Operating leases	Other current liabilities	31,482
Noncurrent
Finance leases	Long-term debt	6,535
Operating leases	Deferred credits and other liabilities	199,563
Total lease liabilities		$	237,711

Other pertinent information related to leases was as follows. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, amounts paid in cash for our finance leases were not material.

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Cash paid amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
Operating cash flows used for operating leases	$	18,223
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations
Finance leases	$	4,150
Operating leases	$	13,854

Schedule of Finance Lease Liability Maturities

Maturities of our lease liabilities as of March 31, 2020, presented on a rolling 12-month basis, were as follows:

	Total		Finance Leases		Operating Leases
	(In thousands)
Year 1	$	36,723	$	516	$	36,207
Year 2	37,066		526		36,540
Year 3	32,468		536		31,932
Year 4	27,244		547		26,697
Year 5	17,088		558		16,530
Thereafter	133,876		9,335		124,541
Total lease payments	284,465		12,018		272,447
Less: Imputed interest	46,754		5,352		41,402
Total	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045
Reported as of March 31, 2020
Short-term lease liabilities	$	31,613	$	131	$	31,482
Long-term lease liabilities	206,098		6,535		199,563
Total lease liabilities	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045

Schedule of Operating Lease Liability Maturities

Maturities of our lease liabilities as of March 31, 2020, presented on a rolling 12-month basis, were as follows:

	Total		Finance Leases		Operating Leases
	(In thousands)
Year 1	$	36,723	$	516	$	36,207
Year 2	37,066		526		36,540
Year 3	32,468		536		31,932
Year 4	27,244		547		26,697
Year 5	17,088		558		16,530
Thereafter	133,876		9,335		124,541
Total lease payments	284,465		12,018		272,447
Less: Imputed interest	46,754		5,352		41,402
Total	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045
Reported as of March 31, 2020
Short-term lease liabilities	$	31,613	$	131	$	31,482
Long-term lease liabilities	206,098		6,535		199,563
Total lease liabilities	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045

Schedule of Future Minimum Lease Payments for Capital Leases

The future minimum lease payments as of September 30, 2019 were as follows:

	Operating Leases(1)		Capital Lease
	(In thousands)
2020	$	21,017	$	243
2021	20,416		248
2022	19,370		253
2023	18,071		258
2024	15,718		263
Thereafter	105,544		4,343
Total minimum lease payments	$	200,136	5,608
Less amount representing interest			3,018
Present value of net minimum lease payments			$	2,590

(1)

Future minimum lease payments do not include amounts for fleet leases and other de minimis items that can be renewed beyond the initial lease term. The Company anticipates renewing the leases beyond the initial term, but the anticipated payments associated with the renewals do not meet the definition of expected minimum lease payments and therefore are not included above. Expected payments are $17.6 million in 2020, $18.0 million in 2021, $11.8 million in 2022, $8.5 million in 2023, $5.4 million 2024 and $2.7 million thereafter.

Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases

The future minimum lease payments as of September 30, 2019 were as follows:

	Operating Leases(1)		Capital Lease
	(In thousands)
2020	$	21,017	$	243
2021	20,416		248
2022	19,370		253
2023	18,071		258
2024	15,718		263
Thereafter	105,544		4,343
Total minimum lease payments	$	200,136	5,608
Less amount representing interest			3,018
Present value of net minimum lease payments			$	2,590

(1)

Future minimum lease payments do not include amounts for fleet leases and other de minimis items that can be renewed beyond the initial lease term. The Company anticipates renewing the leases beyond the initial term, but the anticipated payments associated with the renewals do not meet the definition of expected minimum lease payments and therefore are not included above. Expected payments are $17.6 million in 2020, $18.0 million in 2021, $11.8 million in 2022, $8.5 million in 2023, $5.4 million 2024 and $2.7 million thereafter.

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Unaudited Financial Information (Table)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Regulatory Assets

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 included the following:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	80,955	$	86,089
Infrastructure mechanisms(1)	142,075		131,894
Deferred gas costs	—		23,766
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	5,652		6,551
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	27,811		26,418
Rate case costs	2,250		1,346
Other	7,765		8,483
	$	266,508	$	284,547
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes(2)	$	715,807	$	726,307
Regulatory cost of service reserve	3,770		5,238
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	521,319		528,893
Deferred gas costs	115,112		14,112
Asset retirement obligation	17,054		17,054
APT annual adjustment mechanism	68,048		78,402
Other	17,591		16,120
	$	1,458,701	$	1,386,126

(1) Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas and Louisiana allow for the deferral of all eligible expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, including the recording of interest on deferred expenses until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recoverable through base rates.

(2)

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "TCJA") resulted in the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base. Of this amount, $21.4 million as of March 31, 2020 and $21.2 million as of September 30, 2019 is recorded in other current liabilities. These liabilities are being returned to customers in most of our jurisdictions on a provisional basis over 15 to 46 years until formal orders establish the final refund periods.

Schedule of Regulatory Liabilities

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 included the following:

	March 31, 2020		September 30, 2019
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	80,955	$	86,089
Infrastructure mechanisms(1)	142,075		131,894
Deferred gas costs	—		23,766
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	5,652		6,551
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	27,811		26,418
Rate case costs	2,250		1,346
Other	7,765		8,483
	$	266,508	$	284,547
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes(2)	$	715,807	$	726,307
Regulatory cost of service reserve	3,770		5,238
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	521,319		528,893
Deferred gas costs	115,112		14,112
Asset retirement obligation	17,054		17,054
APT annual adjustment mechanism	68,048		78,402
Other	17,591		16,120
	$	1,458,701	$	1,386,126

(1) Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas and Louisiana allow for the deferral of all eligible expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, including the recording of interest on deferred expenses until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recoverable through base rates.

(2)

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "TCJA") resulted in the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base. Of this amount, $21.4 million as of March 31, 2020 and $21.2 million as of September 30, 2019 is recorded in other current liabilities. These liabilities are being returned to customers in most of our jurisdictions on a provisional basis over 15 to 46 years until formal orders establish the final refund periods.

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Financial Instruments (Table)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value

The following tables present the fair value and balance sheet classification of our financial instruments as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019. The gross amounts of recognized assets and liabilities are netted within our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets to the extent that we have netting arrangements with our counterparties. However, for March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, no gross amounts and no cash collateral were netted within our consolidated balance sheet.

	Balance Sheet Location	Assets		Liabilities
		(In thousands)
March 31, 2020
Not Designated As Hedges:
Commodity contracts	Other current assets / Other current liabilities	$	880	$	(1,714	)
Commodity contracts	Deferred charges and other assets / Deferred credits and other liabilities	2		—
Total		882		(1,714		)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments		$	882	$	(1,714	)

	Balance Sheet Location	Assets		Liabilities
		(In thousands)
September 30, 2019
Not Designated As Hedges:
Commodity contracts	Other current assets / Other current liabilities	$	1,586	$	(4,552	)
Commodity contracts	Deferred charges and other assets / Deferred credits and other liabilities	225		(1,249		)
Total		1,811		(5,801		)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments		$	1,811	$	(5,801	)

 

Schedule of Cash Flow Hedges Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The following table summarizes the gains and losses arising from hedging transactions that were recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes, for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. The amounts included in the table below exclude gains and losses arising from ineffectiveness because those amounts are immediately recognized in the statement of comprehensive income as incurred.

	Three Months Ended March 31					Six Months Ended March 31
	2020		2019			2020		2019
	(In thousands)
Increase (decrease) in fair value:
Interest rate agreements	$	—	$	(3,250	)	$	—	$	(25,966	)
Recognition of losses in earnings due to settlements:
Interest rate agreements	1,053		458			2,106		916
Total other comprehensive income (loss) from hedging, net of tax	$	1,053	$	(2,792	)	$	2,106	$	(25,050	)

Schedule Of Expected Deferred Gains (Losses) Recognition

The following amounts, net of deferred taxes, represent the expected recognition in earnings, as of March 31, 2020, of the deferred losses recorded in AOCI associated with our financial instruments, based upon the fair values of these financial instruments at the date of settlement.

	Interest Rate Agreements
	(In thousands)
Next twelve months	$	(4,212	)
Thereafter	(108,397		)
Total	$	(112,609	)

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Leases - Maturities of lease liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Year 1	$ 36,723
Year 2	37,066
Year 3	32,468
Year 4	27,244
Year 5	17,088
Thereafter	133,876
Total lease payments	284,465
Less: Imputed interest	46,754
Total lease liabilities	237,711
Short-term lease liabilities	31,613
Long-term lease liabilities	206,098
Finance Leases
Year 1	516
Year 2	526
Year 3	536
Year 4	547
Year 5	558
Thereafter	9,335
Total lease payments	12,018
Less: Imputed interest	5,352
Total	6,666	$ 0
Short-term lease liabilities	131
Long-term lease liabilities	6,535
Operating Leases
Year 1	36,207
Year 2	36,540
Year 3	31,932
Year 4	26,697
Year 5	16,530
Thereafter	124,541
Total lease payments	272,447
Less: Imputed interest	41,402
Total	231,045
Short-term lease liabilities	31,482
Long-term lease liabilities	$ 199,563

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Shareholders' Equity - Components of Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Oct. 01, 2018
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock outstanding (in shares)		119,338,925			119,338,925
Shareholders' equity, beginning balance	$ 6,127,775	$ 5,750,223	$ 5,348,195	$ 4,769,951	$ 5,750,223	$ 4,769,951
Net income	239,646	178,673	214,888	157,646	418,319	372,534
Other comprehensive income (loss)	890	1,052	(2,695)	(22,258)	$ 1,942	(24,953)
Cash dividends	(70,520)	(69,557)	(61,606)	(58,722)
Cumulative effect of accounting change							$ (8,210)
Public and other stock offerings	3,096	263,272	5,454	498,975
Stock-based compensation plans	$ 3,528	4,112	3,865	2,603
Common stock outstanding (in shares)	122,308,725				122,308,725
Shareholders' equity, ending balance	$ 6,304,415	$ 6,127,775	$ 5,508,101	$ 5,348,195	$ 6,304,415	$ 5,508,101
Cash dividends per share (USD per share)	$ 0.575	$ 0.575	$ 0.525	$ 0.525	$ 1.15	$ 1.05
Common stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock outstanding (in shares)	122,262,403	119,338,925	116,892,959	111,273,683	119,338,925	111,273,683
Shareholders' equity, beginning balance	$ 611	$ 597	$ 584	$ 556	$ 597	$ 556
Public and other stock offerings (in shares)	38,662	2,758,929	61,006	5,434,812
Public and other stock offerings	$ 1	$ 13	$ 1	$ 27
Stock-based compensation plans (in shares)	7,660	164,549	28,938	184,464
Stock-based compensation plans	$ 0	$ 1	$ 0	$ 1
Common stock outstanding (in shares)	122,308,725	122,262,403	116,982,903	116,892,959	122,308,725	116,982,903
Shareholders' equity, ending balance	$ 612	$ 611	$ 585	$ 584	$ 612	$ 585
Additional Paid-in Capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shareholders' equity, beginning balance	3,979,564	3,712,194	3,476,476	2,974,926	3,712,194	2,974,926
Public and other stock offerings	3,095	263,259	5,453	498,948
Stock-based compensation plans	3,528	4,111	3,865	2,602
Shareholders' equity, ending balance	3,986,187	3,979,564	3,485,794	3,476,476	3,986,187	3,485,794
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shareholders' equity, beginning balance	(113,531)	(114,583)	(114,115)	(83,647)	(114,583)	(83,647)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	890	1,052	(2,695)	(22,258)
Cumulative effect of accounting change							(8,210)
Shareholders' equity, ending balance	(112,641)	(113,531)	(116,810)	(114,115)	(112,641)	(116,810)
Retained Earnings
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shareholders' equity, beginning balance	2,261,131	2,152,015	1,985,250	1,878,116	2,152,015	1,878,116
Net income	239,646	178,673	214,888	157,646
Cash dividends	(70,520)	(69,557)	(61,606)	(58,722)
Cumulative effect of accounting change							$ 8,210
Shareholders' equity, ending balance	$ 2,430,257	$ 2,261,131	$ 2,138,532	$ 1,985,250	$ 2,430,257	$ 2,138,532

XML

Interim Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Contribution to postretirement medical plans			$ 7,400
Pension Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	$ 4,652	$ 4,045	9,305	$ 8,090
Interest cost	5,843	6,801	11,686	13,600
Expected return on assets	(7,079)	(7,113)	(14,158)	(14,226)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(58)	(58)	(116)	(116)
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss	3,242	1,607	6,483	3,215
Net periodic pension cost	6,600	5,282	13,200	10,563
Other Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	3,366	2,703	6,733	5,405
Interest cost	2,653	2,958	5,306	5,919
Expected return on assets	(2,625)	(2,665)	(5,249)	(5,330)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	43	44	87	87
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss	(334)	(2,044)	(669)	(4,089)
Net periodic pension cost	3,103	$ 996	6,208	$ 1,992
Minimum | Other Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Expected future contributions	10,000		10,000
Maximum | Other Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Expected future contributions	$ 20,000		$ 20,000

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Interim Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Information (Table)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Retirement Benefits, Description [Abstract]

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs

The components of our net periodic pension cost for our pension and other postretirement benefit plans for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 are presented in the following tables. Most of these costs are recoverable through our tariff rates. A portion of these costs is capitalized into our rate base or deferred as a regulatory asset or liability. The remaining costs are recorded as a component of operation and maintenance expense or other non-operating expense.

	Three Months Ended March 31
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2020			2019			2020			2019
	(In thousands)
Components of net periodic pension cost:
Service cost	$	4,652		$	4,045		$	3,366		$	2,703
Interest cost(1)	5,843			6,801			2,653			2,958
Expected return on assets(1)	(7,079		)	(7,113		)	(2,625		)	(2,665		)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)(1)	(58		)	(58		)	43			44
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss(1)	3,242			1,607			(334		)	(2,044		)
Net periodic pension cost	$	6,600		$	5,282		$	3,103		$	996

	Six Months Ended March 31
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2020			2019			2020			2019
	(In thousands)
Components of net periodic pension cost:
Service cost	$	9,305		$	8,090		$	6,733		$	5,405
Interest cost(1)	11,686			13,600			5,306			5,919
Expected return on assets(1)	(14,158		)	(14,226		)	(5,249		)	(5,330		)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)(1)	(116		)	(116		)	87			87
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss(1)	6,483			3,215			(669		)	(4,089		)
Net periodic pension cost	$	13,200		$	10,563		$	6,208		$	1,992

(1)

The components of net periodic cost other than the service cost component are included in the line item other non-operating expense in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income or are capitalized on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as a regulatory asset or liability, as described in Note 2 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

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Revenue (Table)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Disaggregation of Revenue

The following tables disaggregate our revenue from contracts with customers by customer type and segment and provide a reconciliation to total operating revenues, including intersegment revenues, for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020					Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage			Distribution			Pipeline and Storage
	(In thousands)
Gas sales revenues:
Residential	$	596,315	$	—		$	695,827		$	—
Commercial	230,779		—			278,945			—
Industrial	25,628		—			35,887			—
Public authority and other	14,662		—			17,087			—
Total gas sales revenues	867,384		—			1,027,746			—
Transportation revenues	28,504		154,748			27,682			142,270
Miscellaneous revenues	6,986		1,335			7,364			2,773
Revenues from contracts with customers	902,874		156,083			1,062,792			145,043
Alternative revenue program revenues(1)	29,638		(9,846		)	(5,397		)	(9,393		)
Other revenues	493		—			494			—
Total operating revenues	$	933,005	$	146,237		$	1,057,889		$	135,650

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020					Six Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage			Distribution			Pipeline and Storage
	(In thousands)
Gas sales revenues:
Residential	$	1,148,391	$	—		$	1,243,755		$	—
Commercial	442,093		—			497,883			—
Industrial	50,553		—			70,424			—
Public authority and other	27,684		—			30,372			—
Total gas sales revenues	1,668,721		—			1,842,434			—
Transportation revenues	55,144		306,758			53,082			289,694
Miscellaneous revenues	13,772		6,490			14,314			4,455
Revenues from contracts with customers	1,737,637		313,248			1,909,830			294,149
Alternative revenue program revenues(1)	22,887		(18,835		)	(14,136		)	(24,029		)
Other revenues	985		—			1,030			—
Total operating revenues	$	1,761,509	$	294,413		$	1,896,724		$	270,120

(1)

In our distribution segment, we have weather-normalization adjustment mechanisms that serve to minimize the effects of weather on our revenue. Additionally, APT has a regulatory mechanism that requires that we share with its tariffed customers 75% of the difference between the total non-tariffed revenues earned during a test period and a revenue benchmark.

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Unaudited Financial Information (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Accounting pronouncements adopted and not yet adopted

Accounting pronouncements adopted in fiscal 2020

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a comprehensive new leasing standard that requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use (ROU) asset for all leases, including operating leases on its balance sheet. The new standard was effective for us beginning on October 1, 2019. See Note 6 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for further details regarding our adoption of the new lease standard and the related disclosures.

Accounting pronouncements that will be effective after fiscal 2020

In March 2020, the FASB issued optional guidance which will ease the potential burden in accounting for or recognizing the effects of reference rate reform on financial reporting. The amendments provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions affected by the cessation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). The amendments can be elected immediately, as of March 12, 2020, through December 31, 2022. We are currently evaluating if we will apply the optional guidance as we assess the impact of the cessation of LIBOR on our current contracts and hedging relationships and the potential impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

In December 2019, the FASB issued new guidance related to accounting for income taxes which removes certain exceptions for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intraperiod allocations and calculating income taxes in interim periods. The new standard also adds guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas, such as recognizing deferred taxes for tax goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. The new standard will be effective for us beginning on October 1, 2021; early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of this new guidance on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. 

In June 2016, the FASB issued new guidance which will require credit losses on most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments to be measured using an expected credit loss model. Under this model, entities will estimate credit losses over the entire contractual term of the instrument from the date of initial recognition of that instrument. In contrast, current U.S. GAAP is based on an incurred loss model that delays recognition of credit losses until it is probable the loss has been incurred. The new guidance also introduces a new impairment recognition model for available-for-sale debt securities that will require credit losses to be recorded through an allowance account. The new standard will be effective for us beginning on October 1, 2020. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of this new guidance on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. 

Regulatory assets and liabilities

Regulatory assets and liabilities

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States require cost-based, rate-regulated entities that meet certain criteria to reflect the authorized recovery of costs due to regulatory decisions in their financial statements. As a result, certain costs are permitted to be capitalized rather than expensed because they can be recovered through rates. We record certain costs as regulatory assets when future recovery through customer rates is considered probable. Regulatory liabilities are recorded when it is probable that revenues will be reduced for amounts that will be credited to customers through the ratemaking process. Substantially all of our regulatory assets are recorded as a component of deferred charges and other assets and our regulatory liabilities are recorded as a component of other current liabilities and deferred credits and other liabilities. Deferred gas costs are recorded either in other current assets or liabilities and our regulatory excess deferred taxes and regulatory cost of removal obligation are reported separately.

Leases

The ROU asset represents the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term, and is equal to the lease liability, adjusted for prepaid or accrued lease payments and any lease incentives that have been paid to us or when we are reasonably certain to incur costs equal to or greater than the allowance defined in the contract.

Variable payments included in our leasing arrangements are expensed in the period in which the obligation for these payments is incurred. Variable payments are dependent on usage, output or may vary for other reasons. Most of our variable lease expense is related to tower leases that have escalating payments based on changes to a stated CPI index, and usage of certain office equipment.

We have not provided material residual value guarantees for our leases, nor do our leases contain material restrictions or covenants.

The lease liability represents the present value of all lease payments over the lease term. The discount rate used to determine the present value of the lease liability is the rate implicit in the lease unless that rate cannot be readily determined. We use the implicit rate stated in the agreement to determine the lease liability for our fleet leases. We use our corporate collateralized incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate for all other lease agreements. This rate is appropriate because we believe it represents the rate we would have incurred to borrow funds to acquire the leased asset over a similar term. We calculated this rate using a combination of inputs, including our current credit rating, quoted market prices of interest rates for our publicly traded unsecured debt, observable market yield curve data for peer companies with a credit rating one notch higher than our current credit rating and the lease term.

New Lease Accounting Policy

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at the inception of the agreement based on the terms and conditions in the contract. A contract contains a lease if there is an identified asset and we have the right to control the asset. We are the lessee for substantially all of our leasing activity, which primarily includes operating leases for office and warehouse space, tower space, vehicles and heavy equipment used in our operations. We are also a lessee in finance leases for service centers.

We record a lease liability and a corresponding ROU asset for all of our leases with a term greater than 12 months. For lease contracts containing renewal and termination options, we include the option period in the lease term when it is reasonably certain the option will be exercised. We most frequently assume renewal options at the inception of the arrangement for our

tower and fleet leases, based on our anticipated use of the assets. Real estate leases that contain a renewal option are evaluated on a lease-by-lease basis to determine if the option period should be included in the lease term. Currently, we have not included material renewal options for real estate leases in our ROU asset or lease liability.

Earnings per share

Earnings Per ShareWe use the two-class method of computing earnings per share because we have participating securities in the form of non-vested restricted stock units with a nonforfeitable right to dividend equivalents, for which vesting is predicated solely on the passage of time. The calculation of earnings per share using the two-class method excludes income attributable to these participating securities from the numerator and excludes the dilutive impact of those shares from the denominator. Basic weighted average shares outstanding is calculated based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the periods presented. Also, this calculation includes fully vested stock awards that have not yet been issued as common stock. Additionally, the weighted average shares outstanding for diluted EPS includes the incremental effects of the forward sale agreements, discussed in Note 8 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, when the impact is dilutive.

Fair value measurement

Fair Value Measurements

We report certain assets and liabilities at fair value, which is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). We record cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable at carrying value, which substantially approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. For other financial assets and liabilities, we primarily use quoted market prices and other observable market pricing information to minimize the use of unobservable pricing inputs in our measurements when determining fair value. The methods used to determine fair value for our assets and liabilities are fully described in Note 2 to the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, there were no changes in these methods.

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Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation and Environmental Matters

In the normal course of business, we are subject to various legal and regulatory proceedings. For such matters, we record liabilities when they are considered probable and estimable, based on currently available facts, our historical experience and our estimates of the ultimate outcome or resolution of the liability in the future. While the outcome of these proceedings is uncertain and a loss in excess of the amount we have accrued is possible though not reasonably estimable, it is the opinion of management that any amounts exceeding the accruals will not have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

We maintain liability insurance for various risks associated with the operation of our natural gas pipelines and facilities, including for property damage and bodily injury. These liability insurance policies generally require us to be responsible for the first $1.0 million (self-insured retention) of each incident.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating an incident that occurred at a Dallas, Texas residence on February 23, 2018 that resulted in one fatality and injuries to four other residents. Together with the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Atmos Energy is a party to the investigation and in that capacity is working closely with the NTSB to help determine the cause of this incident.

We are a party to various other litigation and environmental-related matters or claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of our business. While the results of such litigation and response actions to such environmental-related matters or claims cannot be predicted with certainty, we continue to believe the final outcome of such litigation and matters or claims will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Purchase Commitments

Our distribution divisions 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 the individual contract.

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 prices indexed to natural gas hubs. These purchase commitment contracts are detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. At March 31, 2020, we were committed to purchase 44.1 Bcf within one year, 61.5 Bcf within two to three years and 3.4 Bcf beyond three years under indexed contracts.

Rate Regulatory Proceedings

As of March 31, 2020, routine rate regulatory proceedings were in progress in several of our service areas, which are discussed in further detail below in Management’s Discussion and Analysis — Recent Ratemaking Developments. Except for these proceedings, there were no material changes to rate regulatory proceedings for the six months ended March 31, 2020.

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Leases

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Leases [Abstract]

Leases

Leases

We adopted the provisions of the new lease accounting standard beginning on October 1, 2019, using the optional transition method, which allows us to apply the provisions of the new standard to all leases that existed as of the date of adoption. Therefore, results for reporting periods beginning on October 1, 2019 are presented under the new lease accounting standard and prior periods are presented under the former lease accounting standard.

The new guidance included several practical expedients to facilitate the implementation of the new standard. The following summarizes the practical expedients we used to implement the standard.

• We elected to bundle our lease and non-lease components as a single component for all asset classes.

• We elected not to perform the following:

◦ Evaluate existing or expired land easements prior to October 1, 2019 to determine if they are leases.

◦ Include short-term leases in the calculation of our lease liability.

◦ Evaluate existing or expired contracts to determine if they are leases.

◦ Assess lease classification for existing or expired leases.

◦ Review initial direct costs for existing leases.

◦ Use hindsight in order to determine the lease term or impairment of our ROU assets.

Upon adoption of this new guidance, we recorded ROU assets and lease liabilities of $231.3 million. Additionally, we reclassified a net $6.5 million of accrued and prepaid lease costs to the ROU asset and $2.5 million related to an existing finance lease from deferred credits and other liabilities to long-term debt.

Implementation of the new lease accounting guidance had no material impact on our condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income or our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. Additionally, we did not record a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings on the opening balance sheet.

New Lease Accounting Policy

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at the inception of the agreement based on the terms and conditions in the contract. A contract contains a lease if there is an identified asset and we have the right to control the asset. We are the lessee for substantially all of our leasing activity, which primarily includes operating leases for office and warehouse space, tower space, vehicles and heavy equipment used in our operations. We are also a lessee in finance leases for service centers.

We record a lease liability and a corresponding ROU asset for all of our leases with a term greater than 12 months. For lease contracts containing renewal and termination options, we include the option period in the lease term when it is reasonably certain the option will be exercised. We most frequently assume renewal options at the inception of the arrangement for our

tower and fleet leases, based on our anticipated use of the assets. Real estate leases that contain a renewal option are evaluated on a lease-by-lease basis to determine if the option period should be included in the lease term. Currently, we have not included material renewal options for real estate leases in our ROU asset or lease liability. The following table presents our weighted average remaining lease term for our leases.

	March 31, 2020
Weighted average remaining lease term (years)
Finance leases	19.45
Operating leases	10.72

The lease liability represents the present value of all lease payments over the lease term. The discount rate used to determine the present value of the lease liability is the rate implicit in the lease unless that rate cannot be readily determined. We use the implicit rate stated in the agreement to determine the lease liability for our fleet leases. We use our corporate collateralized incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate for all other lease agreements. This rate is appropriate because we believe it represents the rate we would have incurred to borrow funds to acquire the leased asset over a similar term. We calculated this rate using a combination of inputs, including our current credit rating, quoted market prices of interest rates for our publicly traded unsecured debt, observable market yield curve data for peer companies with a credit rating one notch higher than our current credit rating and the lease term.

The following table represents our weighted average discount rate at March 31, 2020:

	March 31, 2020
Weighted average discount rate
Finance leases	6.95	%
Operating leases	2.92	%

The ROU asset represents the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term, and is equal to the lease liability, adjusted for prepaid or accrued lease payments and any lease incentives that have been paid to us or when we are reasonably certain to incur costs equal to or greater than the allowance defined in the contract.

Variable payments included in our leasing arrangements are expensed in the period in which the obligation for these payments is incurred. Variable payments are dependent on usage, output or may vary for other reasons. Most of our variable lease expense is related to tower leases that have escalating payments based on changes to a stated CPI index, and usage of certain office equipment.

We have not provided material residual value guarantees for our leases, nor do our leases contain material restrictions or covenants.

Lease costs for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 are presented in the table below. These costs include both amounts recognized in expense and amounts capitalized. For the three and six months ended March 31, 2020, we did not have material short-term lease costs or variable lease costs.

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020		Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Finance lease cost	$	105	$	178
Operating lease cost	10,166		20,091
Total lease cost	$	10,271	$	20,269

Our ROU assets and lease liabilities are presented as follows on the condensed consolidated balance sheets (unaudited):

	Balance Sheet Classification	March 31, 2020
		(In thousands)
Assets
Finance leases	Net Property, Plant and Equipment	$	6,631
Operating leases	Deferred charges and other assets	222,653
Total right-of-use assets		$	229,284
Liabilities
Current
Finance leases	Current maturities of long-term debt	$	131
Operating leases	Other current liabilities	31,482
Noncurrent
Finance leases	Long-term debt	6,535
Operating leases	Deferred credits and other liabilities	199,563
Total lease liabilities		$	237,711

Other pertinent information related to leases was as follows. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, amounts paid in cash for our finance leases were not material.

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Cash paid amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
Operating cash flows used for operating leases	$	18,223
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations
Finance leases	$	4,150
Operating leases	$	13,854

Maturities of our lease liabilities as of March 31, 2020, presented on a rolling 12-month basis, were as follows:

	Total		Finance Leases		Operating Leases
	(In thousands)
Year 1	$	36,723	$	516	$	36,207
Year 2	37,066		526		36,540
Year 3	32,468		536		31,932
Year 4	27,244		547		26,697
Year 5	17,088		558		16,530
Thereafter	133,876		9,335		124,541
Total lease payments	284,465		12,018		272,447
Less: Imputed interest	46,754		5,352		41,402
Total	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045
Reported as of March 31, 2020
Short-term lease liabilities	$	31,613	$	131	$	31,482
Long-term lease liabilities	206,098		6,535		199,563
Total lease liabilities	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045

Disclosures Related to Prior Periods

The future minimum lease payments as of September 30, 2019 were as follows:

	Operating Leases(1)		Capital Lease
	(In thousands)
2020	$	21,017	$	243
2021	20,416		248
2022	19,370		253
2023	18,071		258
2024	15,718		263
Thereafter	105,544		4,343
Total minimum lease payments	$	200,136	5,608
Less amount representing interest			3,018
Present value of net minimum lease payments			$	2,590

(1) Future minimum lease payments do not include amounts for fleet leases and other de minimis items that can be renewed beyond the initial lease term. The Company anticipates renewing the leases beyond the initial term, but the anticipated payments associated with the renewals do not meet the definition of expected minimum lease payments and therefore are not included above. Expected payments are $17.6 million in 2020, $18.0 million in 2021, $11.8 million in 2022, $8.5 million in 2023, $5.4 million 2024 and $2.7 million thereafter.

Consolidated lease and rental expense for the three and six months ended March 31, 2019 was $10.3 million and $20.3 million.

Leases

Leases

We adopted the provisions of the new lease accounting standard beginning on October 1, 2019, using the optional transition method, which allows us to apply the provisions of the new standard to all leases that existed as of the date of adoption. Therefore, results for reporting periods beginning on October 1, 2019 are presented under the new lease accounting standard and prior periods are presented under the former lease accounting standard.

The new guidance included several practical expedients to facilitate the implementation of the new standard. The following summarizes the practical expedients we used to implement the standard.

• We elected to bundle our lease and non-lease components as a single component for all asset classes.

• We elected not to perform the following:

◦ Evaluate existing or expired land easements prior to October 1, 2019 to determine if they are leases.

◦ Include short-term leases in the calculation of our lease liability.

◦ Evaluate existing or expired contracts to determine if they are leases.

◦ Assess lease classification for existing or expired leases.

◦ Review initial direct costs for existing leases.

◦ Use hindsight in order to determine the lease term or impairment of our ROU assets.

Upon adoption of this new guidance, we recorded ROU assets and lease liabilities of $231.3 million. Additionally, we reclassified a net $6.5 million of accrued and prepaid lease costs to the ROU asset and $2.5 million related to an existing finance lease from deferred credits and other liabilities to long-term debt.

Implementation of the new lease accounting guidance had no material impact on our condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income or our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. Additionally, we did not record a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings on the opening balance sheet.

New Lease Accounting Policy

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at the inception of the agreement based on the terms and conditions in the contract. A contract contains a lease if there is an identified asset and we have the right to control the asset. We are the lessee for substantially all of our leasing activity, which primarily includes operating leases for office and warehouse space, tower space, vehicles and heavy equipment used in our operations. We are also a lessee in finance leases for service centers.

We record a lease liability and a corresponding ROU asset for all of our leases with a term greater than 12 months. For lease contracts containing renewal and termination options, we include the option period in the lease term when it is reasonably certain the option will be exercised. We most frequently assume renewal options at the inception of the arrangement for our

tower and fleet leases, based on our anticipated use of the assets. Real estate leases that contain a renewal option are evaluated on a lease-by-lease basis to determine if the option period should be included in the lease term. Currently, we have not included material renewal options for real estate leases in our ROU asset or lease liability. The following table presents our weighted average remaining lease term for our leases.

	March 31, 2020
Weighted average remaining lease term (years)
Finance leases	19.45
Operating leases	10.72

The lease liability represents the present value of all lease payments over the lease term. The discount rate used to determine the present value of the lease liability is the rate implicit in the lease unless that rate cannot be readily determined. We use the implicit rate stated in the agreement to determine the lease liability for our fleet leases. We use our corporate collateralized incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate for all other lease agreements. This rate is appropriate because we believe it represents the rate we would have incurred to borrow funds to acquire the leased asset over a similar term. We calculated this rate using a combination of inputs, including our current credit rating, quoted market prices of interest rates for our publicly traded unsecured debt, observable market yield curve data for peer companies with a credit rating one notch higher than our current credit rating and the lease term.

The following table represents our weighted average discount rate at March 31, 2020:

	March 31, 2020
Weighted average discount rate
Finance leases	6.95	%
Operating leases	2.92	%

The ROU asset represents the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term, and is equal to the lease liability, adjusted for prepaid or accrued lease payments and any lease incentives that have been paid to us or when we are reasonably certain to incur costs equal to or greater than the allowance defined in the contract.

Variable payments included in our leasing arrangements are expensed in the period in which the obligation for these payments is incurred. Variable payments are dependent on usage, output or may vary for other reasons. Most of our variable lease expense is related to tower leases that have escalating payments based on changes to a stated CPI index, and usage of certain office equipment.

We have not provided material residual value guarantees for our leases, nor do our leases contain material restrictions or covenants.

Lease costs for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 are presented in the table below. These costs include both amounts recognized in expense and amounts capitalized. For the three and six months ended March 31, 2020, we did not have material short-term lease costs or variable lease costs.

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020		Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Finance lease cost	$	105	$	178
Operating lease cost	10,166		20,091
Total lease cost	$	10,271	$	20,269

Our ROU assets and lease liabilities are presented as follows on the condensed consolidated balance sheets (unaudited):

	Balance Sheet Classification	March 31, 2020
		(In thousands)
Assets
Finance leases	Net Property, Plant and Equipment	$	6,631
Operating leases	Deferred charges and other assets	222,653
Total right-of-use assets		$	229,284
Liabilities
Current
Finance leases	Current maturities of long-term debt	$	131
Operating leases	Other current liabilities	31,482
Noncurrent
Finance leases	Long-term debt	6,535
Operating leases	Deferred credits and other liabilities	199,563
Total lease liabilities		$	237,711

Other pertinent information related to leases was as follows. During the six months ended March 31, 2020, amounts paid in cash for our finance leases were not material.

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	(In thousands)
Cash paid amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
Operating cash flows used for operating leases	$	18,223
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations
Finance leases	$	4,150
Operating leases	$	13,854

Maturities of our lease liabilities as of March 31, 2020, presented on a rolling 12-month basis, were as follows:

	Total		Finance Leases		Operating Leases
	(In thousands)
Year 1	$	36,723	$	516	$	36,207
Year 2	37,066		526		36,540
Year 3	32,468		536		31,932
Year 4	27,244		547		26,697
Year 5	17,088		558		16,530
Thereafter	133,876		9,335		124,541
Total lease payments	284,465		12,018		272,447
Less: Imputed interest	46,754		5,352		41,402
Total	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045
Reported as of March 31, 2020
Short-term lease liabilities	$	31,613	$	131	$	31,482
Long-term lease liabilities	206,098		6,535		199,563
Total lease liabilities	$	237,711	$	6,666	$	231,045

Disclosures Related to Prior Periods

The future minimum lease payments as of September 30, 2019 were as follows:

	Operating Leases(1)		Capital Lease
	(In thousands)
2020	$	21,017	$	243
2021	20,416		248
2022	19,370		253
2023	18,071		258
2024	15,718		263
Thereafter	105,544		4,343
Total minimum lease payments	$	200,136	5,608
Less amount representing interest			3,018
Present value of net minimum lease payments			$	2,590

(1) Future minimum lease payments do not include amounts for fleet leases and other de minimis items that can be renewed beyond the initial lease term. The Company anticipates renewing the leases beyond the initial term, but the anticipated payments associated with the renewals do not meet the definition of expected minimum lease payments and therefore are not included above. Expected payments are $17.6 million in 2020, $18.0 million in 2021, $11.8 million in 2022, $8.5 million in 2023, $5.4 million 2024 and $2.7 million thereafter.

Consolidated lease and rental expense for the three and six months ended March 31, 2019 was $10.3 million and $20.3 million.

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Cover Page - shares	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	May 01, 2020
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2020
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	1-10042
Entity Registrant Name	Atmos Energy Corp
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	TX
Entity Tax Identification Number	75-1743247
Entity Address, Address Line One	1800 Three Lincoln Centre
Entity Address, Address Line Two	5430 LBJ Freeway
Entity Address, City or Town	Dallas
Entity Address, State or Province	TX
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	75240
City Area Code	972
Local Phone Number	934-9227
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock
Trading Symbol	ATO
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (in shares)		122,311,513
Entity Central Index Key	0000731802
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--09-30
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Amendment Flag	false

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Nature of Business (Details) customer in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020 customer state regulated_distribution_division
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Number of customers serviced | customer	3,000,000
Number of regulated distribution divisions | regulated_distribution_division	6
Number of states with service areas | state	8

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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net unrealized holding losses on available-for-sale securities, tax	$ (49)	$ 29	$ (49)	$ 29
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Cash Flow Hedge, Gain (Loss), after Reclassification, Tax, Parent	$ 312	$ (825)	$ 623	$ (7,405)

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Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	$ 977,665	$ 1,094,645	$ 1,853,228	$ 1,972,427
Regulatory mechanism threshold (in percent)			75.00%
Distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	932,296	1,057,192	$ 1,760,136	1,895,373
Pipeline and Storage
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	45,369	37,453	93,092	77,054
Operating Segments | Distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	902,874	1,062,792	1,737,637	1,909,830
Alternative revenue program revenues	29,638	(5,397)	22,887	(14,136)
Other Revenues	493	494	985	1,030
Total operating revenues	933,005	1,057,889	1,761,509	1,896,724
Operating Segments | Distribution | Gas sales revenues:
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	867,384	1,027,746	1,668,721	1,842,434
Operating Segments | Distribution | Gas sales revenues: | Residential
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	596,315	695,827	1,148,391	1,243,755
Operating Segments | Distribution | Gas sales revenues: | Commercial
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	230,779	278,945	442,093	497,883
Operating Segments | Distribution | Gas sales revenues: | Industrial
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	25,628	35,887	50,553	70,424
Operating Segments | Distribution | Gas sales revenues: | Public authority and other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	14,662	17,087	27,684	30,372
Operating Segments | Distribution | Transportation revenues
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	28,504	27,682	55,144	53,082
Operating Segments | Distribution | Miscellaneous revenues
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	6,986	7,364	13,772	14,314
Operating Segments | Pipeline and Storage
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	156,083	145,043	313,248	294,149
Alternative revenue program revenues	(9,846)	(9,393)	(18,835)	(24,029)
Other Revenues	0	0	0	0
Total operating revenues	146,237	135,650	294,413	270,120
Operating Segments | Pipeline and Storage | Gas sales revenues:
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Operating Segments | Pipeline and Storage | Gas sales revenues: | Residential
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Operating Segments | Pipeline and Storage | Gas sales revenues: | Commercial
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Operating Segments | Pipeline and Storage | Gas sales revenues: | Industrial
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Operating Segments | Pipeline and Storage | Gas sales revenues: | Public authority and other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	0	0	0	0
Operating Segments | Pipeline and Storage | Transportation revenues
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	154,748	142,270	306,758	289,694
Operating Segments | Pipeline and Storage | Miscellaneous revenues
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues from contracts with customers	$ 1,335	$ 2,773	$ 6,490	$ 4,455

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Leases - Balance sheet presentation (Details) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Assets
Finance leases	$ 6,631
Operating leases	222,653
Total right-of-use assets	229,284
Current
Finance leases	131
Operating leases	31,482
Noncurrent
Finance leases	6,535
Operating leases	199,563
Total lease liabilities	$ 237,711

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Segment Information

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Information

Segment Information

 We manage and review our consolidated operations through the following reportable segments:

• The distribution segment is primarily comprised of our regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states.

• The pipeline and storage segment is comprised primarily of the pipeline and storage operations of our Atmos Pipeline-Texas division and our natural gas transmission operations in Louisiana.

The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Income statements and capital expenditures for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 by segment are presented in the following tables:

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
	Distribution			Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	932,296		$	45,369	$	—		$	977,665
Intersegment revenues	709			100,868		(101,577		)	—
Total operating revenues	933,005			146,237		(101,577		)	977,665
Purchased gas cost	418,935			202		(101,254		)	317,883
Operation and maintenance expense	115,851			32,296		(323		)	147,824
Depreciation and amortization expense	76,265			29,651		—			105,916
Taxes, other than income	68,413			6,191		—			74,604
Operating income	253,541			77,897		—			331,438
Other non-operating income (expense)	(5,191		)	2,202		—			(2,989		)
Interest charges	10,797			11,374		—			22,171
Income before income taxes	237,553			68,725		—			306,278
Income tax expense	50,489			16,143		—			66,632
Net income	$	187,064		$	52,582	$	—		$	239,646
Capital expenditures	$	373,313		$	92,238	$	—		$	465,551

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage			Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	1,057,192	$	37,453		$	—		$	1,094,645
Intersegment revenues	697		98,197			(98,894		)	—
Total operating revenues	1,057,889		135,650			(98,894		)	1,094,645
Purchased gas cost	570,348		(90		)	(98,582		)	471,676
Operation and maintenance expense	117,621		32,118			(312		)	149,427
Depreciation and amortization expense	69,904		26,868			—			96,772
Taxes, other than income	71,053		8,040			—			79,093
Operating income	228,963		68,714			—			297,677
Other non-operating income (expense)	5,263		(1,031		)	—			4,232
Interest charges	15,896		11,053			—			26,949
Income before income taxes	218,330		56,630			—			274,960
Income tax expense	46,137		13,935			—			60,072
Net income	$	172,193	$	42,695		$	—		$	214,888
Capital expenditures	$	293,270	$	67,912		$	—		$	361,182

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2020
	Distribution			Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	1,760,136		$	93,092	$	—		$	1,853,228
Intersegment revenues	1,373			201,321		(202,694		)	—
Total operating revenues	1,761,509			294,413		(202,694		)	1,853,228
Purchased gas cost	816,493			301		(202,043		)	614,751
Operation and maintenance expense	230,203			70,517		(651		)	300,069
Depreciation and amortization expense	152,339			58,639		—			210,978
Taxes, other than income	128,656			14,555		—			143,211
Operating income	433,818			150,401		—			584,219
Other non-operating income (expense)	(3,237		)	5,135		—			1,898
Interest charges	27,159			22,241		—			49,400
Income before income taxes	403,422			133,295		—			536,717
Income tax expense	86,601			31,797		—			118,398
Net income	$	316,821		$	101,498	$	—		$	418,319
Capital expenditures	$	777,560		$	217,177	$	—		$	994,737

	Six Months Ended March 31, 2019
	Distribution			Pipeline and Storage			Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues from external parties	$	1,895,373		$	77,054		$	—		$	1,972,427
Intersegment revenues	1,351			193,066			(194,417		)	—
Total operating revenues	1,896,724			270,120			(194,417		)	1,972,427
Purchased gas cost	1,008,080			(448		)	(193,791		)	813,841
Operation and maintenance expense	223,388			65,265			(626		)	288,027
Depreciation and amortization expense	139,613			53,224			—			192,837
Taxes, other than income	127,243			16,338			—			143,581
Operating income	398,400			135,741			—			534,141
Other non-operating expense	(1,214		)	(2,277		)	—			(3,491		)
Interest charges	34,106			20,692			—			54,798
Income before income taxes	363,080			112,772			—			475,852
Income tax expense	76,502			26,816			—			103,318
Net income	$	286,578		$	85,956		$	—		$	372,534
Capital expenditures	$	595,815		$	181,771		$	—		$	777,586

 

Balance sheet information at March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019 by segment is presented in the following tables:

	March 31, 2020
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	9,364,424	$	3,183,816	$	—		$	12,548,240
Total assets	$	13,946,651	$	3,403,106	$	(2,633,359	)	$	14,716,398

	September 30, 2019
	Distribution		Pipeline and Storage		Eliminations			Consolidated
	(In thousands)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	8,737,590	$	3,050,079	$	—		$	11,787,669
Total assets	$	12,579,741	$	3,279,323	$	(2,491,445	)	$	13,367,619

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Financial Instruments - Schedule Of Expected Deferred Gains (Losses) Recognition (Details) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Next twelve months	$ (4,212)
Thereafter	(108,397)
Total	$ (112,609)

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Commitments and Contingencies (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) Bcf
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Self-insurance retention expense | $	$ 1.0
Short-term Contract with Customer | Supply Commitment
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term purchase commitment, minimum volume required	44.1
Long-term Contract with Customer Within Two To Three Years | Supply Commitment
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term purchase commitment, minimum volume required	61.5
Long-term Contract with Customer Beyond Three Years | Supply Commitment
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term purchase commitment, minimum volume required	3.4