QV Investors Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN)

QV Investors Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) by 8.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 205,725 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 18,290 shares during the quarter. Stantec accounts for about 1.7% of QV Investors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest position. QV Investors Inc. owned about 0.18% of Stantec worth $16,132,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in shares of Stantec by 121.3% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,802,689 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $225,537,000 after acquiring an additional 1,536,475 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI grew its position in shares of Stantec by 54.6% during the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 1,453,730 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $116,897,000 after purchasing an additional 513,269 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in shares of Stantec by 15.1% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 3,176,820 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $265,177,000 after purchasing an additional 415,993 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its position in shares of Stantec by 198.4% in the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 378,119 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $30,405,000 after buying an additional 251,407 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cumberland Partners Ltd boosted its stake in Stantec by 1,013.6% during the third quarter. Cumberland Partners Ltd now owns 112,200 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $9,031,000 after buying an additional 102,125 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.86% of the company’s stock.

Stantec Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of STN traded up $0.13 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $76.25. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 39,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 105,382. Stantec Inc. has a 52 week low of $74.98 and a 52 week high of $88.42. The stock has a market cap of $8.70 billion, a PE ratio of 34.66 and a beta of 1.01. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $82.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $82.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.155 per share. This represents a $0.62 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%. This is a positive change from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. Stantec’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

STN has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 16th. Scotiabank assumed coverage on shares of Stantec in a research note on Friday, October 25th. They issued a “sector outperform” rating for the company. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of Stantec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Stantec has an average 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.