New strategy will drive Stantec even higher

Article Excerpt

The shares of engineering firm Stantec are up over 50% in the past year and hit a new record high of $108.66 in January 2024. That gain is largely due to increased government spending on infrastructure projects in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company also announced a new strategic plan, which should further spur its earnings—and your returns—over the next few years. STANTEC INC. $108 is a buy. This engineering firm (Toronto symbol STN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 111.0 million; Market cap: $12.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.9; Dividend yield: 0.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.stantec.com) is a leading seller of consulting, project-delivery, design and technology services. The U.S. supplies roughly 55% of Stantec’s revenue, followed by Canada (25%) and other countries (20%). Stantec’s revenue rose 10.6%, from $3.36 billion in 2018 to $3.71 billion in 2019. Due to the COVID-19 disruptions, revenue slipped 0.7% to $3.68 billion in 2020, and fell a further 1.3% to $3.64 billion in 2021…