Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Earns Buy Rating from Analysts at Benchmark

Research analysts at Benchmark began coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) in a report released on Tuesday. The brokerage set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price target on the insurance provider’s stock. Benchmark’s price target indicates a potential upside of 24.60% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Monday, May 18th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on Stewart Information Services from $81.00 to $77.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $83.00.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:STC opened at $69.82 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $67.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.84. The company has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.59 and a beta of 0.99. Stewart Information Services has a 12-month low of $57.10 and a 12-month high of $78.61. The company has a quick ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.26. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.07% and a net margin of 4.19%.The business had revenue of $778.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $730.43 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.25 earnings per share. Stewart Information Services’s revenue was up 27.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Stewart Information Services will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Stewart Information Services

In related news, CFO David C. Hisey sold 10,992 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.28, for a total transaction of $783,509.76. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 61,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,414,299.12. The trade was a 15.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $63.87 per share, with a total value of $63,870.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 25,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,598,921.58. This trade represents a 4.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.94% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 164 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its stake in Stewart Information Services by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 15,479 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,087,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 0.9% during 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. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 7.0% during 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. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 16,116 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $992,000 after purchasing an additional 308 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.