Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Stock Gets Price Target Trim from Citizens Jmp

Key Points

• Citizens JMP lowered Stewart Information Services’ price target from $80 to $75 while maintaining a “market outperform” rating, implying 47.69% upside from the previous close.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with four Buy ratings and three Holds producing a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $80.25.
• Stewart reported quarterly EPS of $1.39, below the $1.63 consensus estimate, but revenue rose 24.5% year over year to $895.8 million, exceeding expectations.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by analysts at Citizens Jmp from $80.00 to $75.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "market outperform" rating on the insurance provider's stock. Citizens Jmp's target price points to a potential upside of 47.69% from the company's previous close.

STC has been the subject of several other reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Stewart Information Services from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut Stewart Information Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Citigroup restated a "market outperform" rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday. Benchmark initiated coverage on Stewart Information Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $87.00 target price for the company. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Stewart Information Services from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $77.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $80.25.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

STC opened at $50.78 on Monday. Stewart Information Services has a 52-week low of $48.74 and a 52-week high of $78.61. The company has a 50 day moving average of $64.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.68. The company has a market cap of $1.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.14 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.24). The business had revenue of $895.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $838.07 million. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 4.12% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The business's revenue was up 24.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.34 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Stewart Information Services will post 5.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stewart Information Services

In related news, insider Brian Glaze sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.16, for a total transaction 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 2.94% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the second quarter worth $28,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the second quarter valued at $42,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 93.6% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,152 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 557 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the second quarter valued at $67,000. Finally, Nykredit A S bought a new position in Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter valued at $80,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.90% of the company's stock.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

Stewart Information Services Corporation is a global real estate services company headquartered in Houston, Texas. Through its Stewart Title operations, the company provides title insurance and related services that help protect property owners, lenders and other parties involved in real estate transactions from certain title defects and ownership-related risks.

The company's business includes title examination, search and insurance services, escrow and closing services, settlement services, and related transaction support.

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