Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What’s your recommendation on WSP Global? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: WSP Global Inc., $40.00, symbol WSP on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 99.7 million; Market cap: $4.0 billion; www.wspgroup.com), is a consultant on engineering projects for public- and private-sector clients around the world. It employs about 34,000 people, mainly engineers, technicians, scientists, environmental experts and architects. It has more than 500 offices across 40 countries. WSP has a long history of using acquisitions to expand. As a result, its revenue soared from $651.0 million in 2011 to $6.1 billion in 2015. Mainly due to the costs of integrating these new businesses, the company’s earnings fell from $1.91 a share (or a total of $50.1 million) in 2011 to $1.15 a share (or $46.3 million) in 2012. Earnings then rose to $1.38 a share (or $71.7 million) in 2013. They then dropped again to $0.98 a share (or $62.8 million) in 2014. In October 2015, WSP completed its acquisition of rival engineering company MMM Group for $425 million in cash and shares. That helped…