Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Lowered to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Sunday morning.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. They set a “market outperform” rating and a $80.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Stewart Information Services from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $81.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Stewart Information Services has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $80.50.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

Shares of STC opened at $71.37 on Friday. Stewart Information Services has a 12 month low of $56.39 and a 12 month high of $78.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.19 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $70.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $71.05. The company has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.67 and a beta of 1.01.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.30. The company had revenue of $794.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $774.05 million. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 9.32% and a net margin of 3.95%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.12 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 6.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 51.98%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 207.3% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 22,679 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,476,000 after acquiring an additional 15,299 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 8.9% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 118,127 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $7,690,000 after purchasing an additional 9,622 shares in the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its stake in Stewart Information Services by 23.2% during the third quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 551,519 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $40,437,000 after purchasing an additional 103,777 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,389,000. Finally, Tributary Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 92.5% during the third quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 568,864 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $41,709,000 after buying an additional 273,424 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

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.