Stephens Reaffirms "Overweight" Rating for Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC)

Stephens reissued their overweight rating on shares of Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $82.00 price objective on the insurance provider's stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com cut Stewart Information Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on shares of Stewart Information Services from $84.00 to $74.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

NYSE:STC traded down $0.54 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $66.71. 195,969 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 195,552. The company has a quick ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.66 and a beta of 1.23. Stewart Information Services has a 1-year low of $58.23 and a 1-year high of $78.44. The company has a 50-day moving average of $67.96 and a 200 day moving average of $70.35.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.01. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 6.81% and a net margin of 2.94%. Research analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services will post 6.29 EPS for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 16th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.00%. Stewart Information Services's payout ratio is 76.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stewart Information Services

In related news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.12, for a total value of $956,073.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 65,330 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,842,259.60. The trade was a 16.49 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of STC. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 310.9% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 452 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Stewart Information Services during the third quarter worth approximately $61,000. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 58.7% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,546 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $104,000 after purchasing an additional 572 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 210.9% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,226 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $166,000 after buying an additional 1,510 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter worth $205,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.90% of the company's stock.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

Stewart Information Services Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides title insurance and real estate transaction related services in the United States and internationally. The company involves in searching, examining, closing, and insuring the condition of the title to real property. It also offers home and personal insurance services; services for tax-deferred exchanges; and digital customer engagement platform services.