Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) Stock Position Boosted by Numerai GP LLC

Numerai GP LLC lifted its position in shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN - Free Report) TSE: STN by 87.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 42,340 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 19,726 shares during the period. Stantec comprises about 0.9% of Numerai GP LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position. Numerai GP LLC's holdings in Stantec were worth $3,322,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in STN. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Stantec by 632.8% during the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 491 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 424 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Stantec by 78.4% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,739 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $140,000 after purchasing an additional 764 shares during the period. Natixis raised its stake in shares of Stantec by 114.8% during the fourth quarter. Natixis now owns 1,781 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $140,000 after purchasing an additional 952 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Stantec by 11.2% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,359 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $185,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Stantec in the 4th quarter valued at $205,000. 63.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stantec Price Performance

Shares of Stantec stock traded up $1.67 during trading on Friday, hitting $101.20. 325,935 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 141,526. Stantec Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.18 and a fifty-two week high of $101.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $86.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $82.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.00 and a beta of 0.98.

Stantec (NYSE:STN - Get Free Report) TSE: STN last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The business services provider reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.54 billion. Stantec had a net margin of 4.78% and a return on equity of 16.57%. On average, equities analysts expect that Stantec Inc. will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th will be paid a $0.1612 dividend. This is a positive change from Stantec's previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. Stantec's dividend payout ratio is presently 26.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James raised shares of Stantec from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Scotiabank reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Stantec in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy".

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.