Stantec (NYSE:STN) Hits New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Stantec in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Scotiabank reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Stantec in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Stantec from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Raymond James upgraded Stantec from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Stantec in a report on Friday, May 16th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Buy".

Stantec Price Performance

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 has a market cap of $12.16 billion, a PE ratio of 48.47 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a fifty day moving average of $95.12 and a 200-day moving average of $85.70.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.02. Stantec had a return on equity of 16.57% and a net margin of 4.78%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.54 billion. Sell-side analysts expect that Stantec Inc. will post 3.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a $0.1612 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.60%. This is an increase from Stantec's previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. Stantec's dividend payout ratio is presently 26.86%.

Institutional Trading of Stantec

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stantec in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in Stantec by 632.8% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 491 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 424 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in Stantec by 37.6% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 874 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Stantec during the first quarter worth $85,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Stantec during the first quarter worth $97,000. 63.86% of the stock is 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.