UBS Group AG Sells 26,789 Shares of Stewart Information Services Corporation $STC

Key Points

• UBS Group AG cut its stake in Stewart Information Services by 39.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 26,789 shares and leaving it with 40,917 shares valued at about $2.88 million.
• Stewart Information Services reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.78 versus the $0.52 consensus and revenue of $778.4 million, up 27.7% year over year.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on the stock, with a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of $83.00, while the company also pays a quarterly dividend yielding about 3.1%.

UBS Group AG trimmed its holdings in Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC - Free Report) by 39.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 40,917 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 26,789 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.15% of Stewart Information Services worth $2,875,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in STC. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $143,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 70.0% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,271 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $148,000 after acquiring an additional 935 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming boosted its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 216.1% during the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 2,658 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $173,000 after acquiring an additional 1,817 shares during the last quarter. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stewart Information Services

In related news, CFO David C. Hisey sold 10,992 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.28, for a total transaction of $783,509.76. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 61,929 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,414,299.12. This represents a 15.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $65.34 per share, for a total transaction of $65,340.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 21,243 shares in the company, valued at $1,388,017.62. This trade represents a 4.94% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 2.94% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on STC shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Stewart Information Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Stewart Information Services from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Citizens Jmp started coverage on Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. They set a "market outperform" rating and a $80.00 target price for the company. Four equities research 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 $83.00.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

NYSE:STC opened at $67.71 on Tuesday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $65.34 and its 200 day moving average is $68.60. 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 capitalization of $2.06 billion, a PE ratio of 15.11 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 2.12.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.26. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 10.07% and a net margin of 4.19%.The company had revenue of $778.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $730.43 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.25 EPS. Stewart Information Services's quarterly revenue was up 27.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Stewart Information Services's dividend payout ratio is presently 46.88%.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

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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