Stantec (NYSE:STN) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Stantec (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday morning.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Raymond James lowered Stantec from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Scotiabank initiated coverage on shares of Stantec in a research report on Friday, October 25th. They set a “sector outperform” rating for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Stantec presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Stantec Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of Stantec stock opened at $83.08 on Friday. Stantec has a 52-week low of $67.54 and a 52-week high of $88.42. The stock has a market cap of $9.48 billion, a PE ratio of 37.76 and a beta of 1.02. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $81.80 and a 200-day moving average of $82.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a current ratio of 1.42.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.155 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.62 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.75%. Stantec’s payout ratio is presently 28.18%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stantec

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of STN. Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its holdings in Stantec by 198.4% during the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 378,119 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $30,405,000 after purchasing an additional 251,407 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Stantec by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 523,581 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $42,781,000 after purchasing an additional 46,267 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Stantec by 73.2% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 31,001 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,493,000 after buying an additional 13,107 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in Stantec during the third quarter worth about $877,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in Stantec in the third quarter worth about $335,000. 63.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.