Stantec (TSE:STN) Upgraded by Scotiabank to “Strong-Buy”

Stantec (TSE:STN) (NYSE:STN) was upgraded by stock analysts at Scotiabank to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Stantec from C$130.00 to C$145.00 in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price target on Stantec from C$120.00 to C$125.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Raymond James lowered shares of Stantec from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price objective for the company from C$125.00 to C$120.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Stantec from C$128.00 to C$131.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Stantec presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of C$123.50.

Stantec Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average is C$111.04 and its 200 day moving average is C$112.43. Stantec has a fifty-two week low of C$82.50 and a fifty-two week high of C$122.57. The firm has a market capitalization of C$12.96 billion, a PE ratio of 37.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 80.74, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.39.

Stantec (TSE:STN) (NYSE:STN) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported C$1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of C$1.11 by C$0.01. Stantec had a net margin of 6.31% and a return on equity of 12.91%. The company had revenue of C$1.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$1.49 billion.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Asifa Samji bought 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$109.75 per share, with a total value of C$32,925.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 840 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$92,190. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. In other Stantec news, Director Vito Culmone bought 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$112.97 per share, for a total transaction of C$225,940.00. Also, Director Asifa Samji purchased 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$109.75 per share, for a total transaction of C$32,925.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 840 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$92,190. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. Insiders have bought 2,445 shares of company stock worth $274,636 in the last quarter. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.