The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Makes New Investment in Stewart Information Services Corporation $STC

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 14,953 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $987,000.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth about $347,274,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings 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 worth $143,665,000 after buying an additional 90,233 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its position in Stewart Information Services by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 842,077 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $59,164,000 after buying an additional 77,618 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Stewart Information Services by 75.9% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 701,148 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $49,263,000 after buying an additional 302,623 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Stewart Information Services by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 663,625 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $46,634,000 after buying an additional 2,234 shares during the last quarter. 96.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stewart Information Services Trading Down 3.2%

Shares of NYSE:STC opened at $67.41 on Friday. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 12-month low of $57.10 and a 12-month high of $78.61. The company has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a PE ratio of 14.78 and a beta of 0.97. The business has a 50 day moving average of $68.44 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.24). The firm had revenue of $895.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $838.07 million. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.02% and a net margin of 4.12%.Stewart Information Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.34 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services Corporation will post 5.26 EPS for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. This is a boost from Stewart Information Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Stewart Information Services’s payout ratio is currently 46.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Brian Glaze sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.16, for a total transaction of $103,740.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 11,784 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,981.44. This trade represents a 11.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on STC shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded shares of Stewart Information Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $77.00 to $71.00 in a report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Wednesday. Benchmark began coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 target price for the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 price target on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $81.50.

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.