Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Upgraded to “Overweight” at Stephens

Stephens upgraded shares of Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report published on Friday morning, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $82.00 price target on the insurance provider’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. They set a “market outperform” rating and a $80.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Stewart Information Services currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $81.33.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

STC traded up $1.24 on Friday, hitting $71.13. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 217,912 shares, compared to its average volume of 226,657. Stewart Information Services has a 12 month low of $56.39 and a 12 month high of $78.61. The firm has a market cap of $1.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.61 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $68.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $71.27.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.30. The company had revenue of $794.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $774.05 million. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 9.32% and a net margin of 3.95%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.12 EPS. Analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 6.29 EPS for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.98%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of STC. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in Stewart Information Services by 207.3% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 22,679 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,476,000 after purchasing an additional 15,299 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 8.9% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 118,127 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $7,690,000 after buying an additional 9,622 shares during the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP grew its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 23.2% during the third quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 551,519 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $40,437,000 after buying an additional 103,777 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services in the third quarter worth about $1,389,000. Finally, Tributary Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 92.5% in the 3rd quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 568,864 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $41,709,000 after acquiring an additional 273,424 shares during the last quarter. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.