Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Price Target Raised to $81.00

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) had its target price upped by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $78.00 to $81.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a market perform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on STC. Wall Street Zen raised Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, October 19th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $81.50.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

Shares of STC opened at $71.54 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.93 and a beta of 1.04. Stewart Information Services has a fifty-two week low of $56.39 and a fifty-two week high of $78.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $72.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $69.44.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.22. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 8.57% and a net margin of 3.65%.The company had revenue of $791.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $737.30 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.07 EPS. Stewart Information Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 6.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 58.50%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Penn Capital Management Company LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the third quarter valued at $2,309,000. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 3rd quarter valued at about $217,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 3rd quarter valued at about $229,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 20.1% during the 3rd quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 44,163 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,238,000 after purchasing an additional 7,395 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Numerai GP LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the third quarter worth about $207,000. 96.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.