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

Shares of Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $81.6667.

STC has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. Zacks Research upgraded Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on Stewart Information Services from $81.00 to $77.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

Shares of STC opened at $67.23 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a PE ratio of 15.01 and a beta of 0.99. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $67.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.12 and a quick ratio of 2.12. Stewart Information Services has a 1 year low of $56.39 and a 1 year high of $78.61.

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

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Stewart Information Services’s payout ratio is presently 46.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stewart Information Services

In related news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost 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 in the company, valued at $1,598,921.58. This trade represents a 4.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO David C. Hisey sold 10,992 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were 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 owned 61,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,414,299.12. This trade represents a 15.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.94% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,407 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $380,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 8.5% in the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,676 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $196,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 15,479 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,087,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 0.9% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 28,704 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,105,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maryland State Retirement & Pension System grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 7.0% in the first quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 4,378 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $270,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. 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.