Stantec (NYSE:STN) Reaches New 52-Week High - Time to Buy?

Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN - Get Free Report) TSE: STN's stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $106.62 and last traded at $104.98, with a volume of 108757 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $106.28.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on STN shares. Scotiabank reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Stantec in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. TD Securities reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Stantec in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Stantec in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Wall Street Zen raised Stantec from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Raymond James upgraded shares of Stantec from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Buy".

Stantec Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $93.04 and a 200-day moving average price of $85.11. The company has a market cap of $12.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.02 and a beta of 1.03. 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 (NYSE:STN - Get Free Report) TSE: STN last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The business services provider reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.54 billion. Stantec had a net margin of 4.78% and a return on equity of 16.57%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Stantec Inc. will post 3.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.1612 per share. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. This is an increase from Stantec's previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. Stantec's payout ratio is presently 26.86%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stantec

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of Stantec by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 580,736 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $45,559,000 after purchasing an additional 39,671 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Stantec by 12.7% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 407,626 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $31,965,000 after acquiring an additional 45,900 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Stantec by 8.7% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,739 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $293,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Stantec by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 263,845 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $20,699,000 after acquiring an additional 30,629 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its holdings in shares of Stantec by 73.2% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 31,001 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,493,000 after acquiring an additional 13,107 shares in the last quarter. 63.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.