ATS (NYSE:ATS) Stock Price Up 4.5% - Here's Why

Key Points

• ATS stock rose 4.5% on Wednesday to $31.95 (intraday high $32.24) on thin volume—56,965 shares traded, about 66% below the average—its market cap is roughly $3.15 billion with 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages of $30.26 and $28.09.
• Analyst coverage is mixed (two Buys, two Holds, one Sell), giving ATS an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $35.00.
• Quarterly results showed EPS of $0.34 (beat by $0.04) while revenue of $553.8M missed estimates (consensus $722.96M) though revenue was up 16.7% year‑over‑year; sell‑side forecasts $1.02 EPS for the current year.

ATS Corporation (NYSE:ATS - Get Free Report) shot up 4.5% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $32.24 and last traded at $31.9530. 56,965 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 66% from the average session volume of 168,341 shares. The stock had previously closed at $30.58.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ATS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, February 15th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of ATS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of ATS in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of ATS in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Scotiabank reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of ATS in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $35.00.

ATS Trading Up 5.0%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The company's 50 day moving average price is $30.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.09. The firm has a market cap of $3.15 billion, a PE ratio of 214.01 and a beta of 1.10.

ATS (NYSE:ATS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.04. ATS had a net margin of 0.77% and a return on equity of 9.67%. The company had revenue of $553.81 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $722.96 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.32 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that ATS Corporation will post 1.02 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ATS

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of ATS during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of ATS in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in ATS during the 2nd quarter worth about $43,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in ATS during the 3rd quarter valued at about $112,000. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of ATS by 16.8% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 5,264 shares of the company's stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 756 shares in the last quarter. 75.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About ATS

ATS Corporation NYSE: ATS is a Canada-based global provider of automation and energy solutions. Headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario, the company specializes in the design, engineering and manufacturing of custom automation and test systems, as well as fluid handling and control products. Since its founding in 1978, ATS has focused on delivering integrated hardware and software solutions that help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) improve efficiency, quality and throughput across a range of industries.

Through its Automation segment, ATS develops bespoke assembly and testing platforms for sectors such as life sciences, consumer electronics, automotive and industrial equipment.

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