Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) have received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Stantec from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Stantec in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Stantec in a report on Friday, May 16th. Wall Street Zen raised Stantec from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, TD Securities reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Stantec in a research report on Friday, May 16th.

Stantec Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:STN opened at $106.33 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.94 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.38. Stantec has a one year low of $73.18 and a one year high of $108.34. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $97.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $86.26.

Stantec (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The business services provider reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.54 billion. Stantec had a net margin of 5.01% and a return on equity of 18.22%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Stantec will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.1612 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. This is a positive change from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.61%. Stantec’s payout ratio is currently 25.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stantec

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. bought a new position in Stantec in the first quarter valued at about $4,901,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Stantec by 1,520.4% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 162,037 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $13,418,000 after purchasing an additional 152,037 shares during the last quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Stantec in the 1st quarter worth approximately $568,000. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stantec by 73.2% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 22,066 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,828,000 after purchasing an additional 9,325 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Stantec by 15.9% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 164,426 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $13,621,000 after buying an additional 22,524 shares during the last quarter. 63.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stantec Company Profile

Stantec Inc provides professional services in the areas of infrastructure and facilities to the public and private sectors in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It offers evaluation, planning, and designing infrastructure solutions; solutions for sustainable water resources, planning, management, and infrastructure; environmental services; integrated architecture, engineering, interior design, and planning solutions for buildings; and energy and resources solutions.