Principal Financial Group Inc. Acquires 51,600 Shares of Stantec Inc. $STN

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its stake in Stantec by 5.5% in the first quarter, buying an additional 51,600 shares and lifting its holdings to 983,625 shares valued at about $84.8 million.
• Stantec reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $0.97 per share, topping consensus estimates, while revenue came in slightly below expectations at $1.22 billion.
• The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.245 per share, implying an annualized yield of 1.4%, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $175.00.

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN - Free Report) TSE: STN by 5.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 983,625 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 51,600 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.86% of Stantec worth $84,763,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of Stantec by 223.9% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 298 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Stantec by 264.9% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 343 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares during the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in Stantec during the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in Stantec by 423.7% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 508 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 411 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Toth Financial Advisory Corp acquired a new stake in Stantec during the 4th quarter worth about $57,000. 63.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Stantec Stock Performance

Shares of STN opened at $70.42 on Friday. Stantec Inc. has a one year low of $66.94 and a one year high of $114.51. The company has a market cap of $7.91 billion, a PE ratio of 22.57 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $72.86 and a 200-day moving average of $85.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.35.

Stantec (NYSE:STN - Get Free Report) TSE: STN last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 13th. The business services provider reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.23 billion. Stantec had a return on equity of 19.37% and a net margin of 5.92%.Stantec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.370-4.490 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Stantec Inc. will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stantec Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were given a $0.245 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $0.98 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Stantec's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.12%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on STN. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Stantec in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen cut Stantec from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. Zacks Research downgraded Stantec from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered Stantec from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, ATB Cormark Capital Markets upgraded Stantec from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $175.00.

About Stantec

Stantec is a global design and consulting firm offering professional services in engineering, architecture, and environmental sciences. The company partners with public and private clients to deliver solutions spanning infrastructure, water, energy and resources, and community development. Through an integrated approach, Stantec manages projects from initial planning and conceptual design through construction and commissioning, focusing on sustainability and innovation.

The firm's service portfolio includes civil infrastructure design, building systems engineering, environmental assessments, and project management.

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