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

Shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on STN. Raymond James cut shares of Stantec from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Scotiabank started coverage on Stantec in a research note on Friday, October 25th. They issued a “sector outperform” rating for the company. Finally, StockNews.com raised Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stantec

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Stantec in the 2nd quarter worth about $51,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Stantec in the second quarter worth $71,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of Stantec by 802.8% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 975 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $81,000 after acquiring an additional 867 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Stantec by 45.9% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,037 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the period. Finally, UniSuper Management Pty Ltd raised its stake in shares of Stantec by 100.0% during the first quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 1,600 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $133,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the period. 63.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stantec Price Performance

Shares of STN stock opened at $82.31 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $81.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $82.43. Stantec has a 52-week low of $67.54 and a 52-week high of $88.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.41 and a beta of 1.02.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.155 per share. This represents a $0.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.75%. This is an increase from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. Stantec’s payout ratio is presently 28.18%.

About Stantec

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.