Stantec, Alpha Natural Lead High-Flying Stocks

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- The Nasdaq led U.S. indices yesterday with a 0.8% rise. Here are three lesser-known stocks that outpaced benchmarks and hit 52-week highs.

3. Stantec(STN) climbed 3.8% to $29.36. The research and consulting company's shares have rallied 18% during the past month.

The numbers: Stantec's third-quarter loss narrowed to $10 million, or 22 cents a share, as revenue grew 11% to $384 million. The company's gross margin declined from 47% to 45%, and its operating margin tightened from 11% to 10%. Stantec has adequate liquidity, evident in its quick ratio of 1.1. Its 0.5 debt-to-equity ratio reflects conservative leverage.

The stock: We rate Stantec "hold." The stock has returned 19% this year, matching the Dow Jones Industrial Average, but trailing the S&P 500 Index. We give the company a volatility score of 2.9 out of 10, less than the "buy"-list average of 4.1.