Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Stock Gets Price Target Trim from Stephens

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) had its price objective cut by Stephens from $80.00 to $70.00 in a report published on Monday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

STC has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Stewart Information Services from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Zacks Research downgraded Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Stewart Information Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $77.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $75.75.

Stewart Information Services Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE STC opened at $44.14 on Monday. Stewart Information Services has a twelve month low of $42.66 and a twelve month high of $78.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 1.85. The stock has a market cap of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.06 and a beta of 1.04. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $59.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.95.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The insurance provider reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $900.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $903.67 million. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 9.39%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.64 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services will post 4.89 EPS for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. This is a positive change from Stewart Information Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.5250. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is 55.14%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Deborah Jane Matz bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $43.91 per share, with a total value of $43,910.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,910. This trade represents a ? increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Frederick H. Eppinger bought 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 26th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $44.45 per share, for a total transaction of $133,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 173,675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,719,853.75. The trade was a 1.76% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have acquired 10,000 shares of company stock valued at $460,960. 2.94% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 2.4% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 8,417 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $556,000 after buying an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its position in Stewart Information Services by 7.0% during the first quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 4,378 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $270,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its position in Stewart Information Services by 1.9% during the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 16,116 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $992,000 after acquiring an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in Stewart Information Services by 2.8% in the first quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 13,253 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $816,000 after acquiring an additional 359 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Stewart Information Services News

Here are the key news stories impacting Stewart Information Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company insiders made a series of open-market purchases. CEO Frederick Eppinger bought 3,000 shares for approximately $133,350, while directors Deborah Jane Matz, William S. Corey Jr., Clifford Bradley Jr. and Thomas G. Apel collectively purchased 7,000 shares. The transactions occurred at prices between $43.91 and $47.73, potentially signaling that management and directors view STC as undervalued after its decline. Stewart insider buying report
• Positive Sentiment: Stewart’s quarterly dividend was increased to $0.55 per share from $0.525, providing an annualized payout of $2.20 and a yield of roughly 5.1% at recent prices. The higher dividend may attract income-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens maintained an “overweight” rating but lowered its price target from $80 to $70. The target reduction reflects a more cautious outlook, although it remains well above recent trading levels and implies meaningful potential upside. Stephens forecast report
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results were below expectations. Stewart reported earnings of $1.33 per share versus the $1.50 consensus estimate, while revenue of $900.7 million was slightly below forecasts. EPS also fell from $1.64 in the prior-year quarter, raising concerns about near-term profitability.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Zacks downgraded the stock to “strong sell,” while the broader consensus rating is “Hold.” The shares are trading far below their moving averages, indicating that investors continue to discount weaker real-estate transaction and earnings conditions.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE: STC) is a global provider of title insurance and real estate transaction services. Through its Stewart Title operations, the company helps protect property owners, lenders and other participants from losses arising from defects in a property’s title.

The company offers title searches and examinations, title insurance policies, escrow and closing services, settlement services, and related solutions for residential and commercial real estate transactions.