Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $81.50.

STC has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Stephens restated 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 cut shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Wednesday. Zacks Research lowered shares of Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Benchmark started coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price objective on the stock.

Stewart Information Services Trading Down 3.2%

Shares of STC stock opened at $67.41 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a PE ratio of 14.78 and a beta of 0.97. Stewart Information Services has a 52-week low of $57.10 and a 52-week high of $78.61. The business’s fifty day moving average is $68.44 and its 200 day moving average is $66.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 1.98.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.24). Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.02% and a net margin of 4.12%.The business had revenue of $895.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $838.07 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.34 earnings per share. Stewart Information Services’s revenue was up 24.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services will post 5.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stewart Information Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.55 dividend. This is a boost from Stewart Information Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Stewart Information Services’s payout ratio is currently 46.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Stewart Information Services news, insider Brian Glaze sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.16, for a total transaction of $103,740.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 11,784 shares in the company, valued at $814,981.44. This trade represents a 11.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.94% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter valued at about $347,274,000. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in Stewart Information Services by 6,334.9% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 2,407,155 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $158,920,000 after buying an additional 2,369,747 shares during the last quarter. Zimmer Partners LP purchased a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter worth approximately $24,901,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in Stewart Information Services by 75.9% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 701,148 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $49,263,000 after buying an additional 302,623 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. bought a new position in Stewart Information Services during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $21,078,000. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

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.