Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $105.00.

Several brokerages recently commented on STN. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Stantec from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 12th. Atb Cap Markets upgraded shares of Stantec from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 12th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Stantec in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group cut Stantec from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 10th.

Institutional Trading of Stantec

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Stantec during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Stantec in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Stantec by 1,067.3% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 642 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 587 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Stantec by 137.2% in the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 759 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 439 shares during the period. Finally, US Bancorp DE increased its stake in shares of Stantec by 144.4% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 765 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 452 shares during the last quarter. 58.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stantec Price Performance

STN stock opened at $70.26 on Friday. Stantec has a 1 year low of $46.35 and a 1 year high of $72.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.79 and a beta of 0.99. The business’s 50-day moving average is $64.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $64.25.

Stantec Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 16th. Investors of record on Friday, December 29th will be issued a $0.141 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 28th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. Stantec’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.24%.

About Stantec

Stantec Inc provides e professional services in the areas of infrastructure and facilities to the public and private sectors clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company provides consulting services in engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics.