Insider Buying: Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Director Acquires $94,600.00 in Stock

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) Director Clifford Bradley, Jr. bought 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 23rd. The shares were bought at an average price of $47.30 per share, for a total transaction of $94,600.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,034 shares in the company, valued at $1,278,708.20. This trade represents a 7.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Stewart Information Services Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE:STC opened at $44.14 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.06 and a beta of 1.04. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.95. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 12 month low of $42.66 and a 12 month high of $78.61.

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

Stewart Information Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. This is a boost from Stewart Information Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.5250. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 55.14%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth about $347,274,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the 2nd quarter worth about $17,759,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the 2nd quarter worth about $10,991,000. Heartland Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the 2nd quarter worth about $8,252,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $8,211,000. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on STC. Stephens dropped their price target on Stewart Information Services from $80.00 to $70.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Benchmark assumed coverage on Stewart Information Services in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Zacks Research downgraded Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Stewart Information Services presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $75.75.

Stewart Information Services News Summary

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.