QV Investors Inc. Sells 18,290 Shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN)

QV Investors Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN - Free Report) TSE: STN by 8.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 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 period. Stantec makes up about 1.7% of QV Investors Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. QV Investors Inc. owned 0.18% of Stantec worth $16,132,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new position in shares of Stantec during the second quarter worth about $71,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew 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 worth $81,000 after buying an additional 867 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised 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 buying an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Stantec by 30.3% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,122 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $171,000 after acquiring an additional 493 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. purchased a new position in Stantec in the third quarter worth $211,000. 63.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on STN. Scotiabank started coverage on Stantec in a research note on Friday, October 25th. They set a "sector outperform" rating for the company. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Stantec from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. StockNews.com raised shares of Stantec from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, November 16th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Stantec from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Stantec Trading Up 0.6 %

STN traded up $0.45 during trading on Monday, hitting $76.57. 87,033 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 112,405. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.80 and a beta of 1.01. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $82.24 and a 200 day moving average of $82.54. 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 Inc. has a 12-month low of $74.98 and a 12-month high of $88.42.

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 is a positive change from Stantec's previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. Stantec's dividend payout ratio is presently 26.36%.

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.