Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The insurance provider reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.17), FiscalAI reports. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.02% and a net margin of 4.12%. The firm had revenue of $900.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $903.67 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.64 earnings per share.

Stewart Information Services Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of Stewart Information Services stock opened at $52.72 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $61.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $65.21. The company has a market cap of $1.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.56 and a beta of 1.04. Stewart Information Services has a 12-month low of $48.74 and a 12-month high of $78.61.

Stewart Information Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. This is an increase from Stewart Information Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.5250. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on STC shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Stewart Information Services from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Citizens Jmp decreased their target price on shares of Stewart Information Services from $80.00 to $75.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut shares of Stewart Information Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $77.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $80.25.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Brian Glaze sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.16, for a total value of $103,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 11,784 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $814,981.44. This trade represents a 11.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.

About Stewart Information Services

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE: STC) is a global provider of title insurance and real estate transaction services. Through its Stewart Title operations, the company helps protect property owners, lenders and other participants from losses arising from defects in a property’s title.

The company offers title searches and examinations, title insurance policies, escrow and closing services, settlement services, and related solutions for residential and commercial real estate transactions.