Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Lowered to Strong Sell Rating by Zacks Research

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on STC. Benchmark started coverage on Stewart Information Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price target on the stock. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Monday, May 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Stewart Information Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $77.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $81.50.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

Shares of STC opened at $69.71 on Monday. Stewart Information Services has a 1-year low of $57.10 and a 1-year high of $78.61. The stock has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a PE ratio of 15.29 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $67.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.98 and a quick ratio of 2.12.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($0.24). The company had revenue of $895.80 million during 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%.The business’s revenue was up 24.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.34 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 5.8 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Stewart Information Services

In other news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average price of $63.87 per share, for a total transaction of $63,870.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly 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 SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.94% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth $693,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 215,213 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $13,253,000 after acquiring an additional 2,631 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 79.3% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 11,225 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $691,000 after acquiring an additional 4,966 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 42.0% in the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 37,408 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,304,000 after acquiring an additional 11,058 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 13,253 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $816,000 after acquiring an additional 359 shares in the last quarter. 96.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

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.