Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Raised to Buy at StockNews.com

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Thursday.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Thursday, February 6th.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

Stewart Information Services stock opened at $68.69 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.94. Stewart Information Services has a 1-year low of $58.23 and a 1-year high of $78.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.42 and a beta of 1.19. The company’s 50-day moving average is $66.50 and its 200 day moving average is $70.24.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.01. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 2.94% and a return on equity of 6.81%. Research analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 6.29 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Montchanin Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter worth $206,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 17.4% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 77,599 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,237,000 after purchasing an additional 11,528 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 2,982 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $201,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $931,000. Finally, State of Wyoming raised its position in Stewart Information Services by 84.0% during the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,461 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $99,000 after acquiring an additional 667 shares during the last quarter. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Stewart Information Services

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.