ATS Co. (NYSE:ATS) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

ATS Co. (NYSE:ATS) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 642,700 shares, an increase of 18.0% from the March 15th total of 544,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 77,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 8.3 days. Approximately 0.7% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of ATS in a report on Tuesday, March 26th. They set a “sell” rating and a $34.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of ATS in a report on Wednesday, December 20th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $45.00 price target for the company.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Steph & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of ATS by 133.6% in the 1st quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 6,215 shares of the company’s stock valued at $210,000 after buying an additional 3,554 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in ATS by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,883,886 shares of the company’s stock valued at $124,209,000 after purchasing an additional 31,185 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in ATS by 131.8% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 234,028 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,080,000 after purchasing an additional 133,063 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in ATS by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 415,872 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,038,000 after purchasing an additional 22,886 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in ATS in the 4th quarter valued at $5,778,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.84% of the company’s stock.

ATS Trading Down 0.7 %

NYSE ATS opened at $30.08 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. ATS has a 52 week low of $29.90 and a 52 week high of $48.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.98 billion and a PE ratio of 22.45. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $36.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.75.

ATS (NYSE:ATS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.50 by ($0.02). ATS had a net margin of 5.89% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The company had revenue of $552.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $536.95 million. As a group, research analysts expect that ATS will post 1.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ATS Company Profile

ATS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides automation solutions worldwide. The company is also involved in planning, designing, building, commissioning, and servicing automated manufacturing and assembly systems, including automation products and test solutions. In addition, it offers pre-automation services comprising discovery and analysis, concept development, simulation, and total cost of ownership modelling; post automation services, including training, process optimization, preventative maintenance, emergency and on-call support, spare parts, retooling, retrofits, and equipment relocation; and contract manufacturing services, as well as after sales and services.