Principal Financial Group Inc. Grows Stake in Stewart Information Services Corporation $STC

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) by 10.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 146,870 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,317 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.48% of Stewart Information Services worth $9,044,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 128,363 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $9,158,000 after purchasing an additional 3,022 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Stewart Information Services by 6.0% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,583 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $612,000 after buying an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in Stewart Information Services by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 16,105 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,149,000 after buying an additional 712 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 44,842.9% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,146 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 3,139 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 10.2% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 85,522 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $6,102,000 after acquiring an additional 7,923 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

STC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Benchmark began coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $87.00 target price for the company. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of Stewart Information Services from $81.00 to $77.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Stewart Information Services presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $83.00.

Stewart Information Services Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:STC opened at $67.48 on Monday. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 52-week low of $57.10 and a 52-week high of $78.61. The stock has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.80 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $67.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.77.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.24). Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 4.12% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The firm had revenue of $895.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $838.07 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.34 EPS. Stewart Information Services’s quarterly revenue was up 24.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Stewart Information Services Corporation will post 5.8 EPS for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stewart Information Services

In other Stewart Information Services news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $63.87 per share, with a total value of $63,870.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,598,921.58. This trade represents a 4.16% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 2.94% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.