Vanguard Group Inc. Has $143.67 Million Stake in Stewart Information Services Corporation $STC

Key Points

• Vanguard Group increased its stake in Stewart Information Services by 4.6% in the fourth quarter, ending with 2,044,758 shares valued at about $143.7 million and representing roughly 7.3% ownership.
• Stewart Information Services beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.78 EPS versus the $0.52 estimate, while revenue of $778.4 million also topped forecasts and rose 27.7% year over year.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 3.1%, and Wall Street sentiment remains constructive with a consensus Buy rating and average price target of $81.

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC - Free Report) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,044,758 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 90,233 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 7.30% of Stewart Information Services worth $143,665,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in Stewart Information Services by 107.7% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 764,459 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $56,050,000 after acquiring an additional 396,390 shares in the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its position in Stewart Information Services by 23.2% in the third quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 551,519 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $40,437,000 after buying an additional 103,777 shares during the last quarter. Portolan Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the third quarter worth $7,463,000. Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 4th quarter worth about $6,227,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP grew its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 193.0% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 118,168 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $8,664,000 after buying an additional 77,844 shares in the last quarter. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Stewart Information Services

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

Stewart Information Services Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of Stewart Information Services stock opened at $68.00 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.12 and a quick ratio of 2.12. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 1 year low of $56.39 and a 1 year high of $78.61. The firm has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a PE ratio of 15.18 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $65.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.87.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 4.19% and a return on equity of 10.07%. The firm had revenue of $778.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $730.43 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 27.7% on a year-over-year basis.

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on STC. Stephens upgraded shares of Stewart Information Services from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $82.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Citizens Jmp started coverage on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. They issued a "market outperform" rating and a $80.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Stewart Information Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Stewart Information Services from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $81.00.

Stewart Information Services 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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