Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $81.50.

STC has been the subject of several analyst reports. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Zacks Research lowered Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Wall Street Zen cut Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Benchmark assumed coverage on Stewart Information Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th.

Stewart Information Services Trading Down 0.5%

STC opened at $65.38 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.98 and a quick ratio of 1.98. Stewart Information Services has a fifty-two week low of $57.10 and a fifty-two week high of $78.61. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $67.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.34 and a beta of 0.98.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($0.24). Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 4.12% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The business had revenue of $895.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $838.07 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.34 EPS. Stewart Information Services’s revenue was up 24.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Stewart Information Services will post 5.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.05%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. acquired 1,000 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $63.87 per share, with a total value of $63,870.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 25,034 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,921.58. This trade represents a 4.16% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of STC. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth approximately $347,274,000. Zimmer Partners LP acquired a new position in Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $24,901,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Stewart Information Services by 75.9% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 701,148 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $49,263,000 after buying an additional 302,623 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $21,078,000. Finally, Ghisallo Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $19,673,000. 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.