BlackRock Inc. Takes $347.27 Million Position in Stewart Information Services Corporation $STC

BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund purchased 5,260,136 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $347,274,000. BlackRock Inc. owned about 0.17% of Stewart Information Services at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of STC. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. Horizon Investments LLC purchased a new position in Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter worth about $65,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter worth about $66,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 50.9% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 981 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services in the second quarter worth approximately $84,000. Institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Benchmark assumed coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research cut Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded Stewart Information Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their target price for the company from $77.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $81.50.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

STC opened at $69.35 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 1.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.21 and a beta of 0.98. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $68.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $66.89. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 52-week low of $57.10 and a 52-week high of $78.61.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last announced its quarterly 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 net margin of 4.12% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The company had revenue of $895.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $838.07 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.34 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 24.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Stewart Information Services Corporation will post 5.26 EPS for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.05%.

Insider Activity at Stewart Information Services

In other news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $63.87 per share, with a total value of $63,870.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,598,921.58. This represents a 4.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Brian Glaze sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.16, for a total value of $103,740.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 11,784 shares in the company, valued at $814,981.44. The trade was a 11.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.

Stewart Information Services 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.