Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Director Buys $95,460.00 in Stock

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) Director Thomas Apel bought 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $47.73 per share, for a total transaction of $95,460.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 46,182 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,204,266.86. This trade represents a 4.53% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

NYSE:STC opened at $44.14 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $59.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $64.95. The stock has a market cap of $1.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.06 and a beta of 1.04. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 1-year low of $42.66 and a 1-year high of $78.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The insurance provider reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $900.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $903.67 million. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 9.39%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.64 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services Corporation will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. This is an increase from Stewart Information Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.5250. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Stewart Information Services’s payout ratio is 55.14%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

STC has been the topic of several research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded shares of Stewart Information Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $77.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Benchmark assumed coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Stewart Information Services from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services from $80.00 to $75.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $75.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter valued at $67,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter worth $52,000. Institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Stewart Information Services

Here are the key news stories impacting Stewart Information Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company insiders made a series of open-market purchases. CEO Frederick Eppinger bought 3,000 shares for approximately $133,350, while directors Deborah Jane Matz, William S. Corey Jr., Clifford Bradley Jr. and Thomas G. Apel collectively purchased 7,000 shares. The transactions occurred at prices between $43.91 and $47.73, potentially signaling that management and directors view STC as undervalued after its decline. Stewart insider buying report
• Positive Sentiment: Stewart’s quarterly dividend was increased to $0.55 per share from $0.525, providing an annualized payout of $2.20 and a yield of roughly 5.1% at recent prices. The higher dividend may attract income-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens maintained an “overweight” rating but lowered its price target from $80 to $70. The target reduction reflects a more cautious outlook, although it remains well above recent trading levels and implies meaningful potential upside. Stephens forecast report
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results were below expectations. Stewart reported earnings of $1.33 per share versus the $1.50 consensus estimate, while revenue of $900.7 million was slightly below forecasts. EPS also fell from $1.64 in the prior-year quarter, raising concerns about near-term profitability.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Zacks downgraded the stock to “strong sell,” while the broader consensus rating is “Hold.” The shares are trading far below their moving averages, indicating that investors continue to discount weaker real-estate transaction and earnings conditions.

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.