Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Trading Up 5.8% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) shot up 5.8% on Friday . The company traded as high as $67.89 and last traded at $67.9490. 34,039 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 231,511 shares. The stock had previously closed at $64.25.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on STC. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $88.00 price target on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Zacks Research upgraded Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Benchmark began coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Tuesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price target for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Stewart Information Services currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $83.00.

Stewart Information Services Stock Up 6.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 2.12. The firm has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a PE ratio of 14.94 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $67.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.80.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.24). Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.14% and a net margin of 4.12%.The business had revenue of $895.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $838.07 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.34 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Stewart Information Services Corporation will post 5.8 EPS for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is 46.88%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Stewart Information Services news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $63.87 per share, for a total transaction of $63,870.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 25,034 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,921.58. This trade represents a 4.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.94% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Stewart Information Services

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Horizon Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the fourth quarter valued at $66,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Stewart Information Services by 50.9% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 981 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the period. Institutional investors 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.