Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Buy” Rating

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday.

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Stewart Information Services from $79.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE STC opened at $69.56 on Tuesday. 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 $72.13 and a 200 day moving average of $70.09. The firm has a market cap of $1.93 billion, a PE ratio of 32.81 and a beta of 1.21. Stewart Information Services has a one year low of $56.16 and a one year high of $78.44.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last released 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 business had revenue of $667.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $638.40 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.86 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Stewart Information Services will post 3.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Stewart Information Services

In other news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 owns 65,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,842,259.60. This represents a 16.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Stewart Information Services

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STC. Arizona State Retirement System increased its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 7,688 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $477,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 1.4% in 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 last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its stake in Stewart Information Services by 2.2% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 13,900 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $863,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 4,645 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $288,000 after buying an additional 319 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Trust Point Inc. boosted its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 13,918 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,040,000 after acquiring an additional 659 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

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.