Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Given New $74.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) had its price objective decreased by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $84.00 to $74.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has a market perform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 24th.

Stewart Information Services Stock Down 3.0 %

Shares of NYSE:STC opened at $62.36 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 1.94. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $71.73 and a 200 day moving average of $70.58. Stewart Information Services has a 52-week low of $56.16 and a 52-week high of $78.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.73 billion, a PE ratio of 29.42 and a beta of 1.24.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The insurance provider reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.21. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 5.77%. The company had revenue of $667.94 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $638.40 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.86 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services will post 3.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. Stewart Information Services’s payout ratio is 94.34%.

Insider Activity

In other Stewart Information Services news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.12, for a total transaction of $956,073.88. Following the sale, the director now directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in STC. Arizona State Retirement System grew its stake in Stewart Information Services by 2.2% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 7,688 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $477,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in Stewart Information Services by 1.4% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 13,538 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $840,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 4,645 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $288,000 after buying an additional 319 shares in the last quarter. Trust Point Inc. grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 13,918 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,040,000 after buying an additional 659 shares during the period. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 14,888 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,113,000 after acquiring an additional 801 shares in the last quarter. 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.