Squarepoint Ops LLC Purchases Shares of 13,800 Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC)

Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 13,800 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $931,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Wyoming grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 84.0% during the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,461 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $99,000 after buying an additional 667 shares in the last quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter worth about $314,000. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its stake in Stewart Information Services by 44.4% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 8,167 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $551,000 after acquiring an additional 2,510 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,393 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,039,000 after purchasing an additional 590 shares during the period. Finally, Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter worth approximately $480,000. 96.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stewart Information Services Stock Up 1.2%

NYSE:STC traded up $0.71 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $60.53. The stock had a trading volume of 226,746 shares, compared to its average volume of 170,962. The stock has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.28 and a beta of 1.01. The business's 50 day moving average is $65.27 and its 200 day moving average is $67.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.94. Stewart Information Services Co. has a fifty-two week low of $58.61 and a fifty-two week high of $78.44.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The insurance provider reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $608.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $595.50 million. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 6.81% and a net margin of 2.94%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.17 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Stewart Information Services Co. will post 6.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 16th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.30%. Stewart Information Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 76.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Stewart Information Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Thursday, February 6th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were bought at an average price of $59.63 per share, for a total transaction of $59,630.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 20,243 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,207,090.09. This trade represents a 5.20% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

About Stewart Information Services

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.