Updating: SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., Stantec Inc. and Wyndham Worldwide

Article Excerpt

SNC-LAVALIN GROUP INC. $56 (Toronto symbol SNC; Cyclical-Growth Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 175.5 million; Market cap: $9.8 billion; Dividend yield: 1.9%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.snclavalin.com) is a leading Canadian engineering and construction company that specializes in large-scale infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and transit systems. Starting with the March 2017 payment, investors receive $0.273 a share, up 5.0% from $0.26. The new annual rate of $1.09 yields 1.9%. SNC has now increased its dividend annually for the past 16 years. The company recently paid $3.6 billion for U.K.-based engineering firm WS Atkins plc. That business specializes in industrial projects such as railways, nuclear power plants, water-treatment facilities and highways. Excluding costs related to the purchase, SNC’s earnings in the third quarter of 2017 jumped 104.0%, to $136.7 million from $42.7 million a year earlier. Due to more shares outstanding, earnings per share rose at a slower 73.3%, to $0.78 from $0.45. Revenue gained 21.4%, to $2.6…