Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services from $79.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

Shares of STC stock opened at $70.27 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.15 and a beta of 1.22. Stewart Information Services has a 52 week low of $56.16 and a 52 week high of $78.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 1.94. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $72.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $70.15.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The insurance provider reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $667.94 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $638.40 million. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 5.77%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.86 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Stewart Information Services will post 3.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stewart Information Services

In other news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.12, for a total value of $956,073.88. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 65,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,842,259.60. This represents a 16.49 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.99% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of STC. Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $61,000. Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new position in Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth $65,000. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services in the second quarter valued at $74,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 210.9% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,226 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $166,000 after purchasing an additional 1,510 shares during the period. Finally, Heritage Family Offices LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter worth about $204,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

Stewart Information Services Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides title insurance and real estate transaction related services in the United States and internationally. The company involves in searching, examining, closing, and insuring the condition of the title to real property. It also offers home and personal insurance services; services for tax-deferred exchanges; and digital customer engagement platform services.