Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

STC has been the topic of several other reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Friday, March 27th. Citizens Jmp started coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Monday, February 2nd. They set a “market outperform” rating and a $80.00 target price on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of Stewart Information Services from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Monday, May 18th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $83.00.

Stewart Information Services Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of STC opened at $66.25 on Wednesday. Stewart Information Services has a 12 month low of $56.39 and a 12 month high of $78.61. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $65.52 and its 200-day moving average is $68.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of 14.79 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.26. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 4.19% and a return on equity of 10.07%. The company had revenue of $778.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $730.43 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 27.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 5.8 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Stewart Information Services

In other news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $65.34 per share, for a total transaction of $65,340.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,243 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,388,017.62. The trade was a 4.94% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO David C. Hisey sold 10,992 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.28, for a total transaction of $783,509.76. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 61,929 shares in the company, valued at $4,414,299.12. This represents a 15.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Stewart Information Services

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STC. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,044,758 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $143,665,000 after purchasing an additional 90,233 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 842,077 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $59,164,000 after purchasing an additional 77,618 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 75.9% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 701,148 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $49,263,000 after purchasing an additional 302,623 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 663,625 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $46,634,000 after purchasing an additional 2,234 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 563,003 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $39,557,000 after purchasing an additional 11,484 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.