Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Grows Stake in Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC)

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC) by 310.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 452 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 342 shares during the quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Stewart Information Services were worth $31,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. KBC Group NV increased its position in Stewart Information Services by 58.7% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,546 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 572 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,434 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $182,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc acquired a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the third quarter worth about $205,000. Atria Investments Inc acquired a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the third quarter worth about $207,000. Finally, Heritage Family Offices LLP lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP now owns 3,530 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $238,000 after acquiring an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stewart Information Services Stock Up 0.4 %

NYSE STC opened at $70.99 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.31 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Stewart Information Services Co. has a 1-year low of $58.23 and a 1-year high of $78.44. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $66.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $70.18.

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

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.82%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 76.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STC has been the topic of several research reports. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Stewart Information Services from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th.

Stewart Information Services 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.