Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
by Amy Steele · The Cerbat GemStewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC – Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $83.00.
STC has been the topic of several research reports. Zacks Research raised Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. They issued a “market outperform” rating and a $80.00 target price on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Wall Street Zen raised Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price 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.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Stewart Information Services
Stewart Information Services Stock Down 2.6%
NYSE:STC opened at $66.25 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.79 and a beta of 1.02. Stewart Information Services has a 1-year low of $56.39 and a 1-year high of $78.61. 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 business’s fifty day moving average price is $65.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $68.55.
Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.25 earnings per share. Stewart Information Services’s quarterly revenue was up 27.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th were given a $0.525 dividend. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.88%.
Insider Activity
In other news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $65.34 per share, with a total value of $65,340.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 21,243 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,388,017.62. This trade represents a 4.94% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO David C. Hisey sold 10,992 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 61,929 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,414,299.12. The trade was a 15.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Stewart Information Services
Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 4.6% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 10.2% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 75.9% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 701,148 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $49,263,000 after acquiring an additional 302,623 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 663,625 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $46,634,000 after acquiring an additional 2,234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cooke & Bieler LP boosted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 563,003 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $39,557,000 after acquiring an additional 11,484 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.
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.
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