Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of Stewart Information Services from $81.00 to $77.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Benchmark initiated coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price objective for the company. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Stewart Information Services to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Stewart Information Services has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.00.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

Stewart Information Services stock opened at $67.48 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $67.12 and its 200-day moving average is $66.77. The company has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.80 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.98 and a quick ratio of 2.12. Stewart Information Services has a 12 month low of $57.10 and a 12 month high of $78.61.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($0.24). Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 4.12% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The firm had revenue of $895.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $838.07 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.34 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of Stewart Information Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $63.87 per share, with a total value of $63,870.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,598,921.58. The trade was a 4.16% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 2.94% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Stewart Information Services

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,044,758 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $143,665,000 after purchasing an additional 90,233 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 842,077 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,164,000 after purchasing an additional 77,618 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 75.9% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 701,148 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $49,263,000 after purchasing an additional 302,623 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Stewart Information Services by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 663,625 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $46,634,000 after buying an additional 2,234 shares during the period. Finally, Cooke & Bieler LP increased its stake in Stewart Information Services by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 563,003 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $39,557,000 after buying an additional 11,484 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

About Stewart Information Services

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE: STC) is a publicly traded provider of title insurance and real estate transaction services. The company underwrites title insurance policies for residential and commercial properties, offering lenders and property owners protection against title defects and liens. Beyond title insurance, Stewart delivers a range of ancillary services, including closing and escrow administration, property valuation, and risk mitigation solutions designed to streamline the mortgage process and reduce operational complexity for clients.

In addition to core title and settlement services, Stewart offers technology-driven products aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency in real estate transactions.