Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Positive Forecast for First American Financial (NYSE:FAF) Stock Price

First American Financial (NYSE:FAF - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $75.00 to $77.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "outperform" rating on the insurance provider's stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods' price objective indicates a potential upside of 24.64% from the company's current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Barclays increased their price objective on First American Financial from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Stephens lifted their price objective on First American Financial from $73.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of First American Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, First American Financial has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $75.00.

First American Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:FAF traded up $1.26 on Monday, reaching $61.78. The company's stock had a trading volume of 578,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 657,261. First American Financial has a 52-week low of $51.85 and a 52-week high of $70.92. The stock's 50-day moving average is $62.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $63.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.42 and a beta of 1.23.

First American Financial (NYSE:FAF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The insurance provider reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.53 billion. First American Financial had a return on equity of 9.35% and a net margin of 2.14%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.45 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that First American Financial will post 5.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Mark Edward Seaton sold 12,679 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.28, for a total value of $815,006.12. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 195,812 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,586,795.36. This trade represents a 6.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Dennis J. Gilmore sold 111,971 shares of First American Financial stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.60, for a total transaction of $7,121,355.60. Following the transaction, the director now owns 494,574 shares in the company, valued at $31,454,906.40. The trade was a 18.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 127,707 shares of company stock valued at $8,136,565. Insiders own 3.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Barclays PLC increased its stake in First American Financial by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 60,821 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,016,000 after buying an additional 8,047 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of First American Financial by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 214,820 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $14,180,000 after purchasing an additional 10,489 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in First American Financial by 34.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,071 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of First American Financial by 16.5% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,978 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,187,000 after acquiring an additional 2,542 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of First American Financial by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 232,034 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $14,488,000 after acquiring an additional 3,773 shares during the last quarter. 89.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First American Financial Company Profile

First American Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides financial services. It operates through Title Insurance and Services, and Home Warranty segments. The Title Insurance and Services segment issues title insurance policies on residential and commercial property, as well as offers related products and services internationally.