Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $83.00.

Several research firms recently commented on STC. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Benchmark initiated coverage on Stewart Information Services in a report on Tuesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 target price for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on Stewart Information Services from $81.00 to $77.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 price target on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

Shares of STC stock opened at $67.48 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 1.98. Stewart Information Services has a 52 week low of $57.10 and a 52 week high of $78.61. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $67.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.80. The company has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.80 and a beta of 0.99.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($0.24). Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 4.12% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The company had revenue of $895.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $838.07 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.34 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 24.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect 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, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $0.525 dividend. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.05%.

Insider Transactions at Stewart Information Services

In other news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $63.87 per share, for a total transaction of $63,870.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 25,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,598,921.58. The trade was a 4.16% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Stewart Information Services

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in STC. Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter valued at $6,227,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Stewart Information Services by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,044,758 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $143,665,000 after buying an additional 90,233 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter worth about $1,377,000. Seven Grand Managers LLC bought a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter worth about $1,756,000. Finally, Peregrine Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 1st quarter worth about $3,371,000. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.