Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Upgraded at StockNews.com

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Tuesday.

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Stewart Information Services from $79.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th.

Stewart Information Services Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of STC traded up $0.71 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $70.27. 57,552 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 181,816. The firm's 50 day moving average is $72.14 and its 200-day moving average is $70.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 1.94. Stewart Information Services has a 52 week low of $56.16 and a 52 week high of $78.44. The company has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a PE ratio of 33.15 and a beta of 1.21.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Stewart Information Services news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was 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 $4,842,259.60. This represents a 16.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Stewart Information Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of STC. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in Stewart Information Services by 149.0% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 342,090 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $25,568,000 after acquiring an additional 204,688 shares during the period. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 0.4% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,488,342 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $185,979,000 after purchasing an additional 8,853 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 66,071 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $4,938,000 after purchasing an additional 3,272 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 1.4% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $503,000. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.