Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Stewart Information Services from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Stephens upgraded shares of Stewart Information Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $82.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. They set a “market outperform” rating and a $80.00 price objective for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $81.33.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

NYSE STC opened at $59.23 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.21 and a quick ratio of 2.21. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $67.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.46. The company has a market cap of $1.80 billion, a PE ratio of 14.66 and a beta of 1.00. 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 quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $794.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $774.05 million. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 9.32% and a net margin of 3.95%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.12 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services will post 6.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.98%.

Insider Transactions at Stewart Information Services

In other news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $65.34 per share, for a total transaction of $65,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 21,243 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,388,017.62. This trade represents a 4.94% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 2.78% 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 the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Stewart Information Services by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,044,758 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $143,665,000 after acquiring an additional 90,233 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its position in Stewart Information Services by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 842,077 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,164,000 after purchasing an additional 77,618 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 75.9% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 701,148 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $49,263,000 after purchasing an additional 302,623 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 663,625 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $46,634,000 after purchasing an additional 2,234 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tributary Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 92.5% during the 3rd quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 568,864 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $41,709,000 after purchasing an additional 273,424 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

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.