ATS (NYSE:ATS) Stock Rating Raised to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of ATS (NYSE:ATS) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on ATS. TD Securities lowered shares of ATS from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of ATS from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ATS from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ATS has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $42.50.

ATS Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of ATS opened at $18.68 on Monday. ATS has a 52-week low of $17.15 and a 52-week high of $35.82. The stock has a market cap of $1.81 billion, a PE ratio of 54.95 and a beta of 1.18. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $18.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

ATS (NYSE:ATS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $488.38 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $509.71 million. ATS had a net margin of 1.60% and a return on equity of 8.96%. ATS’s quarterly revenue was down 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.41 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that ATS will post 1.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of ATS

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in shares of ATS by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 16,423 shares of the company’s stock valued at $461,000 after acquiring an additional 417 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of ATS in the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of ATS in the second quarter valued at about $311,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in ATS by 19.7% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 69,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,972,000 after purchasing an additional 11,486 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in ATS by 11.0% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 122,456 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,451,000 after purchasing an additional 12,114 shares during the last quarter. 75.84% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About ATS

ATS Corporation is a Canadian automation solutions provider headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario. The company designs, builds and services automated manufacturing systems, production equipment and related technologies for manufacturers in a range of industries.

Its offerings include custom automation systems, assembly and test equipment, material-handling solutions, packaging systems, precision components and aftermarket services. ATS also provides automation software, controls, engineering, technical support and lifecycle services intended to improve production efficiency, quality and flexibility.

The company serves customers in sectors including life sciences, transportation, energy, consumer products and industrial manufacturing.