Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Lowered to “Market Perform” Rating by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered shares of Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning, MarketBeat reports. They currently have $71.00 price objective on the insurance provider’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $77.00.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on STC. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Benchmark started coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $81.50.

Stewart Information Services Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE STC opened at $66.48 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 1.98. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $67.07 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.74. Stewart Information Services has a fifty-two week low of $57.10 and a fifty-two week high of $78.61. The company has a market cap of $2.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.58 and a beta of 0.99.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.24). Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.02% and a net margin of 4.12%.The business had revenue of $895.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $838.07 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.34 earnings per share. Stewart Information Services’s revenue was up 24.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Stewart Information Services will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $63.87 per share, with a total value of $63,870.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,598,921.58. This trade represents a 4.16% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.94% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in STC. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $43,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Horizon Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $66,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 50.9% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 981 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

About Stewart Information Services

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.