Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) Receives Average Recommendation of "Buy" from Brokerages

Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN - Get Free Report) TSE: STN has earned a consensus recommendation of "Buy" from the six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating.

A number of equities analysts have commented on STN shares. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Stantec in a report on Friday, May 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Stantec from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Raymond James raised shares of Stantec from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Scotiabank reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Stantec in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, TD Securities restated a "buy" rating on shares of Stantec in a research report on Friday, May 16th.

Stantec Price Performance

NYSE:STN traded up $1.45 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $102.16. 105,285 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 170,176. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock's 50-day moving average is $88.07 and its 200-day moving average is $83.38. The firm has a market cap of $11.65 billion, a PE ratio of 46.44 and a beta of 0.98. Stantec has a twelve month low of $73.18 and a twelve month high of $103.32.

Stantec (NYSE:STN - Get Free Report) TSE: STN last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The business services provider reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Stantec will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be paid a $0.1612 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. This is an increase from Stantec's previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.63%. Stantec's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stantec

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of STN. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Stantec by 1,520.4% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 162,037 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $13,418,000 after purchasing an additional 152,037 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Stantec during the 1st quarter worth approximately $568,000. Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in shares of Stantec by 73.2% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 22,066 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,828,000 after buying an additional 9,325 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $13,621,000 after acquiring an additional 22,524 shares during the last quarter. Finally, United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in Stantec in the first quarter valued at approximately $337,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.86% of the company's stock.

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.