First American Financial Corporation (NYSE:FAF) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE:FAF) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the five analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $75.75.

FAF has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of First American Financial from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on First American Financial from $79.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of First American Financial in a report on Friday, December 26th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of First American Financial from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Stephens initiated coverage on shares of First American Financial in a report on Friday, November 14th. They issued an “equal weight” rating for the company.

First American Financial Stock Performance

FAF stock opened at $64.24 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $6.55 billion, a PE ratio of 13.82, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.27. First American Financial has a one year low of $53.09 and a one year high of $68.75. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $62.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $63.49.

First American Financial (NYSE:FAF) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. First American Financial had a return on equity of 11.01% and a net margin of 6.80%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.35 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that First American Financial will post 5.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First American Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th will be issued a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 9th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. First American Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.31%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First American Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in shares of First American Financial by 121.3% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,483 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 813 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of First American Financial by 10.8% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 293,058 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $19,233,000 after purchasing an additional 28,666 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in First American Financial by 7.1% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 414,146 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,180,000 after buying an additional 27,600 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in First American Financial by 182.5% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 67,572 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,435,000 after buying an additional 43,651 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth increased its holdings in shares of First American Financial by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 4,282 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $281,000 after acquiring an additional 435 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.05% of the company’s stock.

About First American Financial

First American Financial Corporation is a leading provider of title insurance, settlement services and diversified real estate-related data and analytics. Headquartered in Santa Ana, California, the company serves customers throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Its business is built on the underwriting capabilities of its title insurance operations combined with comprehensive closing and escrow services for homebuyers, sellers, mortgage lenders and real estate professionals.

The company’s title insurance segment issues policies that protect property owners and mortgage lenders against defects in titles, liens or encumbrances that can arise during real property transactions.