QV Investors Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN)

QV Investors Inc. lowered its position in shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) by 8.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 205,725 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 18,290 shares during the period. Stantec comprises about 1.7% of QV Investors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. QV Investors Inc.’s holdings in Stantec were worth $16,132,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new stake in Stantec in the second quarter worth about $71,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position 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 worth $81,000 after acquiring an additional 867 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Stantec by 12.4% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,166 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE lifted its position in Stantec by 30.3% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,122 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $171,000 after acquiring an additional 493 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. bought a new stake in Stantec during the third quarter worth about $211,000. Institutional investors own 63.86% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com raised Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 16th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Scotiabank initiated coverage on Stantec in a research report on Friday, October 25th. They set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Stantec has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Stantec Stock Performance

NYSE:STN traded up $0.13 on Monday, hitting $76.25. The stock had a trading volume of 39,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 105,382. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $82.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $82.54. The stock has a market cap of $8.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.66 and a beta of 1.01. Stantec Inc. has a 52-week low of $74.98 and a 52-week high of $88.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.155 dividend. This is a boost from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. Stantec’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.36%.

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.