Stantec (NYSE:STN) Sets New 1-Year Low – Should You Sell?

Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $75.57 and last traded at $76.63, with a volume of 15976 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $76.93.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on STN. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Stantec in a research note on Friday, October 25th. They set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 16th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Stantec presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Stantec Price Performance

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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $82.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $82.54. The company has a market capitalization of $8.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.63 and a beta of 1.01.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.155 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 dividend yield of 0.81%. Stantec’s payout ratio is currently 28.18%.

Institutional Trading of Stantec

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STN. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new position in Stantec in the 2nd quarter valued at about $71,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Stantec by 802.8% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 975 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 867 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Stantec by 12.4% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,166 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Stantec by 30.3% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,122 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $171,000 after buying an additional 493 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. bought a new position in shares of Stantec during the 3rd quarter valued at about $211,000. Institutional investors own 63.86% of the company’s stock.

About Stantec

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.