HighTower Advisors LLC Takes Position in Stewart Information Services Corporation $STC

HighTower Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 19,596 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,377,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter worth about $65,000. Horizon Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter worth about $65,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the third quarter worth about $143,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in Stewart Information Services by 70.0% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,271 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $148,000 after purchasing an additional 935 shares during the period. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Friday, March 27th. 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 research report on Friday, April 24th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.00.

Stewart Information Services Trading Down 2.3%

NYSE:STC opened at $62.57 on Thursday. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 1-year low of $56.39 and a 1-year high of $78.61. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $65.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $68.31. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.97 and a beta of 0.99.

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

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.88%.

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.