Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC Has $1.50 Million Stake in First American Financial Co. (NYSE:FAF)

Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in First American Financial Co. (NYSE:FAF) by 6.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,297 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,469 shares during the period. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in First American Financial were worth $1,501,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Chilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First American Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $64,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in First American Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $87,000. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC bought a new stake in First American Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $167,000. Nixon Peabody Trust Co. acquired a new position in shares of First American Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $201,000. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of First American Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $216,000. 89.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First American Financial Stock Down 1.6 %

Shares of FAF stock traded down $0.91 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $57.27. 161,740 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 688,318. First American Financial Co. has a twelve month low of $49.55 and a twelve month high of $65.54. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $57.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $58.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.93 billion, a PE ratio of 27.96 and a beta of 1.28.

First American Financial (NYSE:FAF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The insurance provider reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.75 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.47 billion. First American Financial had a net margin of 3.61% and a return on equity of 8.27%. First American Financial’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.35 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that First American Financial Co. will post 4.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First American Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.70%. First American Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 101.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on FAF shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded First American Financial from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $66.00 to $69.00 in a report on Thursday, March 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on First American Financial in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $73.00 target price on shares of First American Financial in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, TheStreet lowered shares of First American Financial from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $68.00.

First American Financial Profile

First American Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides financial services. It operates through Title Insurance and Services, and Home Warranty segments. The Title Insurance and Services segment issues title insurance policies on residential and commercial property, as well as offers related products and services internationally.