Stantec (NYSE:STN) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Stantec (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. CIBC restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Stantec in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Stantec in a report on Monday, November 17th. Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Stantec in a research note on Thursday. Desjardins reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Stantec in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Stantec from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 3rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Stantec presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Stantec Price Performance

Shares of NYSE STN opened at $100.42 on Wednesday. Stantec has a 1 year low of $73.18 and a 1 year high of $114.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.27. The company’s 50-day moving average is $96.43 and its 200 day moving average is $105.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.03 and a beta of 1.10.

Stantec (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 13th. The business services provider reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.11. Stantec had a net margin of 6.06% and a return on equity of 17.37%. The business had revenue of $1.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.71 billion. Stantec has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.784-3.880 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Stantec will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.225 dividend. This is an increase from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. Stantec’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.71%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stantec

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Stantec by 6.5% in the second quarter. Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. now owns 410,497 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $44,613,000 after acquiring an additional 25,073 shares during the period. Forge First Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Stantec by 94.2% in the second quarter. Forge First Asset Management Inc. now owns 86,579 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $9,401,000 after purchasing an additional 42,000 shares during the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc boosted its holdings in Stantec by 144.2% in the second quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 10,082 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,096,000 after purchasing an additional 5,954 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Stantec by 30.8% in the 2nd quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 135,710 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $14,777,000 after purchasing an additional 31,920 shares during the period. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Stantec by 263.6% during the 3rd quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 22,265 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,402,000 after buying an additional 16,142 shares during the last quarter. 63.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Stantec

Stantec is a global design and consulting firm offering professional services in engineering, architecture, and environmental sciences. The company partners with public and private clients to deliver solutions spanning infrastructure, water, energy and resources, and community development. Through an integrated approach, Stantec manages projects from initial planning and conceptual design through construction and commissioning, focusing on sustainability and innovation.

The firm’s service portfolio includes civil infrastructure design, building systems engineering, environmental assessments, and project management.