Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) Shares Sold by Metis Global Partners LLC

Metis Global Partners LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) by 12.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,791 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 1,219 shares during the period. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Stantec were worth $707,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Stantec during the first quarter worth approximately $235,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its stake in Stantec by 900.0% during the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 4,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $330,000 after acquiring an additional 3,600 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Stantec in the first quarter valued at $233,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Stantec by 3.2% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,344,568 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $360,773,000 after acquiring an additional 133,687 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Stantec by 488.2% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 20,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,659,000 after acquiring an additional 16,600 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.86% of the company’s stock.

Stantec Stock Performance

Shares of STN stock opened at $82.31 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $81.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $82.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.39 billion, a PE ratio of 37.41 and a beta of 1.02. Stantec Inc. has a 52-week low of $67.54 and a 52-week high of $88.42.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.155 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.75%. This is a positive change from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Stantec’s payout ratio is presently 28.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on STN. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Raymond James lowered Stantec from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Scotiabank initiated coverage on shares of Stantec in a research report on Friday, October 25th. They issued a “sector outperform” rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

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.