Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC) Short Interest Update

Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 646,500 shares, a decline of 15.2% from the December 15th total of 762,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 157,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.1 days.

Stewart Information Services Trading Up 3.5 %

Shares of NYSE STC traded up $2.20 on Thursday, reaching $64.70. 207,060 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 262,116. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.79 billion, a PE ratio of 30.52 and a beta of 1.24. Stewart Information Services has a fifty-two week low of $56.16 and a fifty-two week high of $78.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a 50 day moving average of $70.68 and a 200 day moving average of $70.47.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The insurance provider reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $667.94 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $638.40 million. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 5.77%. Stewart Information Services's revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.86 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 3.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 16th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. Stewart Information Services's payout ratio is currently 94.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Stewart Information Services from $84.00 to $74.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. StockNews.com upgraded Stewart Information Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 24th.

Insider Transactions at Stewart Information Services

In related news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.12, for a total transaction of $956,073.88. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 65,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,842,259.60. This trade represents a 16.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.99% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Heritage Family Offices LLP lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 9.2% in the 4th quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP now owns 3,530 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $238,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Stewart Information Services by 1.4% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 630,751 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $47,151,000 after buying an additional 8,597 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 337.0% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 45,500 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,400,000 after acquiring an additional 35,088 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,247,762 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $93,258,000 after acquiring an additional 179,364 shares during the period. Finally, Readystate Asset Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter valued at $758,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.

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