Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $175.00.

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on STN shares. Zacks Research raised Stantec from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Scotiabank reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Stantec in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stantec in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Stantec from $168.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Stantec from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st.

Stantec Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:STN opened at $88.78 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $94.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $100.71. The company has a market cap of $10.13 billion, a PE ratio of 29.40 and a beta of 1.12. Stantec has a fifty-two week low of $77.07 and a fifty-two week high of $114.51.

Stantec (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The business services provider reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.03. Stantec had a net margin of 5.90% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The firm had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. Stantec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.370-4.490 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Stantec will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a $0.245 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. This is a boost from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Stantec’s payout ratio is currently 21.85%.

Institutional Trading of Stantec

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. raised its holdings in Stantec by 6.5% during the second quarter. Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. now owns 410,497 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $44,613,000 after purchasing an additional 25,073 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its stake in Stantec by 12.5% during the 3rd quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 281,746 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $30,379,000 after purchasing an additional 31,383 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Stantec by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,873,421 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $525,584,000 after purchasing an additional 152,170 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Stantec by 64.3% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 412,480 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $44,494,000 after purchasing an additional 161,400 shares during the period. Finally, Forge First Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Stantec by 94.2% during the 2nd quarter. Forge First Asset Management Inc. now owns 86,579 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $9,401,000 after purchasing an additional 42,000 shares during the period. 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.