Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) Short Interest Update

Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) (TSE:STN) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 825,400 shares, a drop of 21.4% from the November 15th total of 1,050,000 shares. Currently, 0.7% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 150,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.5 days.

Institutional Trading of Stantec

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of STN. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new position in Stantec in the second quarter valued at about $71,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in Stantec by 802.8% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 975 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $81,000 after acquiring an additional 867 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Stantec by 12.4% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,166 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $103,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of Stantec by 30.3% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,122 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $171,000 after acquiring an additional 493 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. bought a new position in Stantec during the 3rd quarter worth $211,000. 63.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Stantec Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE STN traded down $0.62 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $82.61. 86,255 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 121,226. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.55 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s 50 day moving average is $83.79 and its 200 day moving average is $82.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.42. Stantec has a one year low of $74.62 and a one year high of $88.42.

Stantec Increases Dividend

The company 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 is Tuesday, December 31st. This is a boost from Stantec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.75%. Stantec’s payout ratio is currently 28.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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