Key Points
- Director buying: Stewart Information Services director C. Allen Bradley, Jr. bought 1,000 shares for $63,870, increasing his stake by 4.16% to 25,034 shares.
- Strong quarterly results: The company reported Q1 EPS of $0.78, well above the $0.52 estimate, on revenue of $778.4 million, which rose 27.7% year over year.
- Dividend and analyst outlook: Stewart declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, and analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $83.00.
Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $63.87 per share, for a total transaction of $63,870.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 25,034 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,921.58. This trade represents a 4.16% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Stewart Information Services Trading Up 0.3%
Shares of Stewart Information Services stock opened at $64.14 on Wednesday. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 52-week low of $56.39 and a 52-week high of $78.61. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $65.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.32 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 2.12.
Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.26. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.07% and a net margin of 4.19%.The business had revenue of $778.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $730.43 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.25 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 27.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services Corporation will post 5.8 EPS for the current year.
Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Stewart Information Services's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.88%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stewart Information Services
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,407 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $380,000 after buying an additional 164 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 8.5% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,676 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $196,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 1.5% during the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 14,647 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 15,479 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,087,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 0.9% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 28,704 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,105,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on STC shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Zacks Research upgraded Stewart Information Services to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Stewart Information Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Stewart Information Services from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $88.00 price target on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Stewart Information Services presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $83.00.
View Our Latest Research Report on STC
About Stewart Information Services
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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