ATS (NYSE:ATS) Sees Strong Trading Volume

Shares of ATS Co. (NYSE:ATS) saw unusually-high trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 225,161 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 130% from the previous session’s volume of 98,104 shares.The stock last traded at $26.00 and had previously closed at $26.26.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on ATS. Scotiabank raised shares of ATS to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on ATS from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of ATS from $36.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, ATS presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $42.00.

ATS Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 1.79. The firm has a market cap of $2.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.99 and a beta of 1.18. The company’s 50 day moving average is $29.18 and its 200 day moving average is $32.00.

ATS (NYSE:ATS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $507.43 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $502.41 million. ATS had a return on equity of 14.63% and a net margin of 6.11%. As a group, equities analysts predict that ATS Co. will post 1.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ATS

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of ATS. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its position in ATS by 55.0% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 764 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 271 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of ATS by 37.7% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 4,164 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,000 after purchasing an additional 1,140 shares during the last quarter. Steph & Co. increased its position in shares of ATS by 133.6% during the first quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 6,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $210,000 after buying an additional 3,554 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in ATS during the second quarter worth $286,000. Finally, Aigen Investment Management LP acquired a new position in ATS in the fourth quarter valued at $315,000. Institutional investors own 75.84% of the company’s 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.