Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Decreases Position in Stewart Information Services Corporation $STC

Key Points

• Allspring Global Investments trimmed its Q4 stake in Stewart Information Services by 3.7%, leaving it with 1,626,345 shares (about 5.80% ownership) valued at roughly $113.83 million; overall institutional/hedge fund ownership stands at about 96.9%.
• Insider buying: Director C. Allen Bradley Jr. purchased 1,000 shares on March 10 at $65.34, increasing his holding to 21,243 shares (a 4.94% rise).
• Fundamentals and analyst view: Stewart recently beat Q expectations (EPS $1.65 vs. $1.35; revenue $794.4M, +18.7% YoY), paid a $0.525 quarterly dividend (annualized $2.10, yield 3.4%), and carries a consensus Buy rating with an average target of $81.33.

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC cut its holdings in Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC - Free Report) by 3.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,626,345 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 61,966 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned approximately 5.80% of Stewart Information Services worth $113,828,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Stewart Information Services by 138.3% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 741 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 430 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000. Copeland Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Stewart Information Services by 96.7% in the 3rd quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 1,119 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Stewart Information Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $143,000. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $65.34 per share, with a total value of $65,340.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 21,243 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,388,017.62. This represents a 4.94% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.78% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on STC. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Friday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Stewart Information Services from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Stephens upgraded shares of Stewart Information Services from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $82.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. They set a "market outperform" rating and a $80.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Stewart Information Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Stewart Information Services currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $81.33.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

Shares of STC stock opened at $61.56 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a current ratio of 2.21. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $56.39 and a fifty-two week high of $78.61. The firm has a market cap of $1.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.24 and a beta of 1.01. The business's 50 day moving average price is $66.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.85.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.30. The company had revenue of $794.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $774.05 million. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 9.32% and a net margin of 3.95%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.12 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Stewart Information Services Corporation will post 6.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Stewart Information Services's payout ratio is presently 51.98%.

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.

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