Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Cut to “Market Perform” at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered shares of Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report published on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has $71.00 price target on the insurance provider’s stock, down from their prior price target of $77.00.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Zacks Research raised shares of Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Benchmark initiated 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. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $81.50.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

NYSE STC opened at $70.19 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.39 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $67.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 1.98. Stewart Information Services has a fifty-two week low of $57.10 and a fifty-two week high of $78.61.

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). The company had revenue of $895.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $838.07 million. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.02% and a net margin of 4.12%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 24.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.34 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 5.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.05%.

Insider Transactions at Stewart Information Services

In other Stewart Information Services news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $63.87 per share, for a total transaction of $63,870.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,598,921.58. This trade represents a 4.16% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Stewart Information Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the 4th quarter worth $65,000. Horizon Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the 4th quarter worth $65,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Stewart Information Services during the fourth quarter worth $66,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in Stewart Information Services by 50.9% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 981 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the period. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.