Stantec (NYSE:STN) Hits New 12-Month High After Earnings Beat

Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $95.53 and last traded at $94.73, with a volume of 165235 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $93.48.

The business services provider reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.02. Stantec had a return on equity of 16.57% and a net margin of 4.78%. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.54 billion.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.1612 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. This is a boost from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. Stantec’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James upgraded Stantec from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Scotiabank restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Stantec in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stantec

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atria Investments Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Stantec by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 3,650 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $286,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in shares of Stantec by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,041 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $317,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. Mariner LLC boosted its stake in shares of Stantec by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 4,880 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $383,000 after buying an additional 195 shares during the period. Pembroke Management LTD boosted its stake in shares of Stantec by 3.4% in the first quarter. Pembroke Management LTD now owns 6,933 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $574,000 after buying an additional 231 shares during the period. Finally, US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in shares of Stantec by 11.2% in the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,359 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $185,000 after buying an additional 237 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 63.86% of the company’s stock.

Stantec Trading Up 5.4%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.37 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $86.15 and a 200-day moving average of $82.72.

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.