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

ATS Co. (NYSE:ATS - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 642,700 shares, a growth of 18.0% from the March 15th total of 544,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 77,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 8.3 days. Approximately 0.7% of the shares of the company are short sold.

ATS Price Performance

NYSE ATS traded down $0.91 on Friday, hitting $30.29. 125,296 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 115,598. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $36.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.87. The company has a market cap of $3.00 billion and a P/E ratio of 22.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. ATS has a 1-year low of $30.15 and a 1-year high of $48.89.

ATS (NYSE:ATS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.50 by ($0.02). ATS had a net margin of 5.89% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The business had revenue of $552.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $536.95 million. On average, equities analysts predict that ATS will post 1.82 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATS. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in shares of ATS by 55.0% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 764 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 271 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of ATS by 4,342.1% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 844 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 825 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in shares of ATS in the 2nd quarter valued at about $38,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ATS in the 3rd quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Steph & Co. increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 3,554 shares during the last quarter. 75.84% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on ATS. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of ATS in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $34.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of ATS in a research note on Wednesday, December 20th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $45.00 target price on the stock.

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.