Stantec reports solid third quarter 2015 results and dividend

EDMONTON, ALBERTA and NEW YORK, NEW YORK--(Marketwired - Nov. 5, 2015) - Stantec STNSTN -

Today, Stantec announced solid third quarter 2015 results, with several key items to highlight:



-- Gross revenue increased 11.3% to $750.8 million in Q3 15 from $674.7
million in Q3 14
-- EBITDA increased 9.4% to $93.4 million in Q3 15 from $85.4 million in Q3
14
-- Net income increased 2.9% to $50.0 million in Q3 15 from $48.6 million
in Q3 14
-- Diluted earnings per share increased 3.9% to $0.53 in Q3 15 from $0.51
in Q3 14
-- Stantec closed the acquisitions of VI Engineering, LLC and VA
Consulting, Inc. during the quarter, and Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, Inc.
subsequent to the quarter
-- On November 4, 2015, Stantec declared a cash dividend of $0.105 per
share, payable on January 14, 2016, to shareholders of record on
December 31, 2015



Stantec's third quarter performance demonstrates the strength of the Company's diverse business model. The continued growth in the Buildings and Infrastructure business operating units partly offsets the retraction in the Energy & Resources business operating unit. Stantec's Buildings and Infrastructure businesses represent over 65 percent of the Company's gross revenue year to date.

"We reported positive results this quarter due to the solid performance in our Buildings and Infrastructure businesses. Our Energy & Resources business operating unit has managed its business well, maintained margins, and preserved client relationships while being challenged by volatile commodity prices and instability in the oil and gas industry," says Bob Gomes, Stantec president and chief executive officer. "We wouldn't be able to experience success without our employees. I want to thank them for their support and dedication to serving our clients and our communities."

Designing with Community in Mind

Gross revenue for Stantec's Buildings business operating unit increased due to the benefit of acquisitions completed in 2014 and 2015, organic revenue growth, and foreign exchange. Stantec continues to benefit from success in the Healthcare, Commercial, and Education sectors. During the quarter, Stantec was selected as the design partner for the Red Deer College Centre for Health, Wellness and Sport, a public-private partnership (P3) project in Alberta. This state-of-the-art teaching and learning facility is a comprehensive sport and recreation venue that will host a number of events during the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

Stantec's Energy & Resources business operating unit continued to experience organic revenue retraction in the third quarter of 2015. Despite facing ongoing economic uncertainty, the Company's Oil & Gas, Power, and Mining sectors have been able to maintain client relationships, practice fiscal responsibility, and continue to win business. Stantec's Environmental Services has achieved strong organic revenue growth in the United States. This quarter, Stantec entered into a North American collaborative agreement with The Nature Conservancy to conserve and restore North American rivers, waterways, streams, and wetlands in rural and urban environments.

Stantec's Infrastructure business operating unit achieved strong revenue growth in the third quarter. Its Transportation sector experienced strong organic revenue growth year to date, largely due to a rebounding US economy. Stantec's North American strategic market position led to an increased number of organic revenue growth opportunities such as major light-rail transit, roadway, and bridge projects. For example, Stantec was awarded a project development and design study for widening 18 miles (29 kilometres) of the Sawgrass Expressway, which will include dynamic tolled express lanes, in Broward County, Florida.

Stantec's Community Development sector achieved strong organic revenue growth in Canada and the United States. US operations continue to benefit from steady growth in the housing market and an increased demand for mixed use commercial projects.

Strategic Growth

On July 10, 2015, Stantec acquired certain assets and liabilities, and the business of VI Engineering, LLC, a power and electrical engineering firm based in Houston, Texas, adding 30 staff to the Company.

On August 28, 2015, Stantec acquired certain assets and liabilities, and the business of VA Consulting, Inc., adding 60 staff to the Company. VA Consulting is a community development, transportation, and water engineering firm headquartered in Irvine, California, with operations throughout southern California and in parts of Arizona.

Subsequent to the quarter, Stantec completed the acquisition of Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, Inc., a 280-person transportation, water and wastewater, and building engineering firm located in Burlington, Massachusetts, with operations statewide and throughout the Northeast United States.

Additional Company Activity

On November 4, 2015, Stantec declared a dividend of $0.105 per share, payable on January 14, 2016, to shareholders of record on December 31, 2015.

Conference Call Information

Stantec's third quarter conference call, to be held Thursday, November 5, 2015, at 2:00 PM MST (4:00 PM EST), will be broadcast live and archived in the Investors section of www.stantec.com. Financial analysts who wish to participate in the earnings conference call are invited to call 1-800-524-8860 and provide confirmation code 716476 to the first available operator.

Company Information

We're active members of the communities we serve. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

The Stantec community unites more than 15,000 employees working in over 250 locations. We collaborate across disciplines and industries to bring buildings, energy and resource, and infrastructure projects to life. Our work-professional consulting in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics-begins at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships.

Since 1954, our local strength, knowledge, and relationships, coupled with our world-class expertise, have allowed us to go anywhere to meet our clients' needs in more creative and personalized ways. With a long-term commitment to the people and places we serve, Stantec has the unique ability to connect to projects on a personal level and advance the quality of life in communities across the globe. Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.

Cautionary Statements

Stantec's EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure and gross revenue is an additional IFRS measure. For a definition and explanation of non-IFRS measures and additional IFRS measures, refer to the Critical Accounting Estimates, Developments, and Measures section of the Company's 2014 Annual Report. Diluted earnings per share for 2014 was adjusted from amounts previously reported for the two-for-one share split that occurred on November 14, 2014.

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements. Any such statements represent the views of management only as of the date hereof and are presented for the purpose of assisting the Company's shareholders in understanding Stantec's operations, objectives, priorities, and anticipated financial performance as at and for the periods ended on the dates presented, and may not be appropriate for other purposes. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties.

We caution readers of this news release not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements since a number of factors could cause actual future results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the risk of an economic downturn, changing market conditions for Stantec's services, disruptions in client funding, the risk that Stantec will not meet its growth or revenue targets, and the risk that the projects contemplated in this news release will not be completed when expected or at all. Investors and the public should carefully consider these factors, other uncertainties, and potential events, as well as the inherent uncertainty of forward-looking statements, when relying on these statements to make decisions with respect to our Company.

For more information on how other material risk factors could affect our results, refer to the Risk Factors section and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements in our 2014 Annual Report. You may obtain our 2014 Annual Report by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or on the CSA website at www.sedar.com, or at www.stantec.com. Alternatively, you may obtain a hard copy of the 2014 Annual Report free of charge from our Investor Contact noted below.

- Continued, Consolidated Statements of Financial Position and Consolidated Statements of Income attached -



Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
(Unaudited)
September 30 December 31
2015 2014
(In thousands of Canadian dollars) $ $
============================================================================

ASSETS
Current
Cash and cash equivalents 54,358 153,704
Cash in escrow 6,000 -
Trade and other receivables 566,400 431,751
Unbilled revenue 241,868 192,310
Income taxes recoverable 14,273 11,171
Prepaid expenses 28,973 23,425
Other financial assets 33,146 32,056
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total current assets 945,018 844,417
Non-current
Property and equipment 157,829 152,707
Goodwill 896,753 760,631
Intangible assets 119,241 97,243
Investments in joint ventures and associates 4,667 4,975
Deferred tax assets 77,991 58,801
Other financial assets 109,916 91,696
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total assets 2,311,415 2,010,470
============================================================================

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current
Trade and other payables 301,139 300,293
Billings in excess of costs 90,634 96,082
Current portion of long-term debt 133,569 53,172
Provisions 15,688 10,796
Other financial liabilities 3,369 2,773
Other liabilities 11,915 11,953
============================================================================

Total current liabilities 556,314 475,069
Non-current
Long-term debt 260,391 256,093
Provisions 64,016 51,596
Deferred tax liabilities 93,356 74,602
Other financial liabilities 2,584 2,547
Other liabilities 65,884 64,318
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total liabilities 1,042,545 924,225
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shareholders' equity
Share capital 287,396 276,698
Contributed surplus 14,893 13,490
Retained earnings 837,324 735,917
Accumulated other comprehensive income 129,257 60,140
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total shareholders' equity 1,268,870 1,086,245
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 2,311,415 2,010,470
============================================================================

Consolidated Statements of Income
(Unaudited)
For the three quarters
For the quarter ended ended
September 30 September 30
------------------------------------------------


(In thousands of Canadian
dollars, except per share 2015 2014 2015 2014
amounts) $ $ $ $
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gross revenue 750,809 674,685 2,166,786 1,882,397
Less subconsultant and other
direct expenses 130,705 130,529 360,480 326,735
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Net revenue 620,104 544,156 1,806,306 1,555,662
Direct payroll costs 282,345 246,385 820,616 706,236
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gross margin 337,759 297,771 985,690 849,426
Administrative and marketing
expenses 244,113 213,741 740,539 625,456
Depreciation of property and
equipment 11,621 9,821 33,625 27,820
Amortization of intangible
assets 10,185 6,164 29,091 17,316
Net interest expense 2,700 2,393 8,229 6,090
Other net finance expense 852 827 2,429 2,243
Share of income from joint
ventures and associates (468) (448) (1,623) (1,834)
Foreign exchange gain (297) (144) (331) (55)
Other expense (income) 174 (1,607) (7,043) (1,997)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Income before income taxes 68,879 67,024 180,774 174,387
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Income taxes
Current 22,688 22,306 53,892 50,127
Deferred (3,746) (3,875) (4,179) (2,171)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total income taxes 18,942 18,431 49,713 47,956
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Net income for the period 49,937 48,593 131,061 126,431
============================================================================

Weighted average number of
shares outstanding - basic 94,293,901 93,657,668 94,063,837 93,439,604
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weighted average number of
shares outstanding -
diluted 94,765,391 94,567,658 94,533,446 94,272,260
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shares outstanding, end of
the period 94,352,144 93,788,176 94,352,144 93,788,176
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Earnings per share
Basic 0.53 0.52 1.39 1.35
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diluted 0.53 0.51 1.39 1.34
============================================================================



Shares outstanding and earnings per share for 2014 have been adjusted for the November 14, 2014, two-for-one share split.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Media Contact
Ashley Warnock
Stantec Media Relations
(403) 472-0122
Ashley.Warnock@stantec.com


Investor Contact
Sonia Kirby
Stantec Investor Relations
(780) 616-2785
Sonia.Kirby@stantec.com