Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $83.00.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on STC. Wall Street Zen raised Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Weiss Ratings raised Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Stewart Information Services from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research raised Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $88.00 price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Monday, May 18th.

Stewart Information Services Stock Down 0.4%

STC opened at $66.19 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.12 and a quick ratio of 2.12. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $67.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $67.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.77 and a beta of 0.99. Stewart Information Services has a 12 month low of $56.39 and a 12 month high of $78.61.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $778.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $730.43 million. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.07% and a net margin of 4.19%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 27.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.25 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Stewart Information Services’s payout ratio is currently 46.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stewart Information Services

In related news, CFO David C. Hisey sold 10,992 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.28, for a total transaction of $783,509.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 61,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,414,299.12. The trade was a 15.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $63.87 per share, with a total value of $63,870.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 25,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,598,921.58. The trade was a 4.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,044,758 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $143,665,000 after acquiring an additional 90,233 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors raised its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 842,077 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $59,164,000 after acquiring an additional 77,618 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 75.9% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 701,148 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $49,263,000 after purchasing an additional 302,623 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 663,625 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $46,634,000 after purchasing an additional 2,234 shares during the period. Finally, Cooke & Bieler LP grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 563,003 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,557,000 after purchasing an additional 11,484 shares during the period. 96.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Stewart Information Services

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE: STC) is a publicly traded provider of title insurance and real estate transaction services. The company underwrites title insurance policies for residential and commercial properties, offering lenders and property owners protection against title defects and liens. Beyond title insurance, Stewart delivers a range of ancillary services, including closing and escrow administration, property valuation, and risk mitigation solutions designed to streamline the mortgage process and reduce operational complexity for clients.

In addition to core title and settlement services, Stewart offers technology-driven products aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency in real estate transactions.