Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Director Acquires $93,640.00 in Stock

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) Director William Jr. Corey acquired 2,000 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $46.82 per share, with a total value of $93,640.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 13,433 shares in the company, valued at $628,933.06. This represents a 17.49% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

Shares of STC opened at $44.14 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $59.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.06 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 1.85. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 52-week low of $42.66 and a 52-week high of $78.61.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The insurance provider reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.17). The company had revenue of $900.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $903.67 million. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 9.39%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.64 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services Corporation will post 4.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stewart Information Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This is a positive change from Stewart Information Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.5250. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. Stewart Information Services’s payout ratio is currently 55.14%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $10,991,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,191,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter valued at about $987,000. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth about $347,274,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth about $8,211,000. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stewart Information Services News

Here are the key news stories impacting Stewart Information Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company insiders made a series of open-market purchases. CEO Frederick Eppinger bought 3,000 shares for approximately $133,350, while directors Deborah Jane Matz, William S. Corey Jr., Clifford Bradley Jr. and Thomas G. Apel collectively purchased 7,000 shares. The transactions occurred at prices between $43.91 and $47.73, potentially signaling that management and directors view STC as undervalued after its decline. Stewart insider buying report
• Positive Sentiment: Stewart’s quarterly dividend was increased to $0.55 per share from $0.525, providing an annualized payout of $2.20 and a yield of roughly 5.1% at recent prices. The higher dividend may attract income-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens maintained an “overweight” rating but lowered its price target from $80 to $70. The target reduction reflects a more cautious outlook, although it remains well above recent trading levels and implies meaningful potential upside. Stephens forecast report
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results were below expectations. Stewart reported earnings of $1.33 per share versus the $1.50 consensus estimate, while revenue of $900.7 million was slightly below forecasts. EPS also fell from $1.64 in the prior-year quarter, raising concerns about near-term profitability.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Zacks downgraded the stock to “strong sell,” while the broader consensus rating is “Hold.” The shares are trading far below their moving averages, indicating that investors continue to discount weaker real-estate transaction and earnings conditions.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on STC shares. Benchmark initiated coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price objective for the company. Stephens lowered their target price on shares of Stewart Information Services from $80.00 to $70.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. 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. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Stewart Information Services from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Stewart Information Services presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $75.75.

About Stewart Information Services

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE: STC) is a global provider of title insurance and real estate transaction services. Through its Stewart Title operations, the company helps protect property owners, lenders and other participants from losses arising from defects in a property’s title.

The company offers title searches and examinations, title insurance policies, escrow and closing services, settlement services, and related solutions for residential and commercial real estate transactions.