ATS Co. (NYSE:ATS) Short Interest Up 10.2% in November

ATS Co. (NYSE:ATS) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,450,000 shares, a growth of 10.2% from the October 31st total of 3,130,000 shares. Approximately 3.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 156,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 22.1 days.

ATS Price Performance

NYSE ATS traded down $0.52 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $32.17. 110,742 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 113,290. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.71. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $29.99 and its 200-day moving average is $30.00. ATS has a 52-week low of $24.82 and a 52-week high of $44.70. The company has a market capitalization of $3.15 billion, a PE ratio of 34.05 and a beta of 1.05.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ATS

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in ATS by 91.5% in the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $106,000 after buying an additional 1,574 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ATS during the 2nd quarter valued at about $286,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of ATS by 125.0% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 14,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 7,850 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its position in ATS by 4.8% during the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 17,457 shares of the company’s stock worth $565,000 after purchasing an additional 804 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC purchased a new position in ATS during the third quarter worth about $510,000. 75.84% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on ATS. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on ATS from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on ATS from $36.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th.

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.