Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Price Target Cut to $77.00 by Analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Key Points

• Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut Stewart Information Services’ price target from $81 to $77, while keeping an outperform rating on the stock. The new target still implies about 17.75% upside from the current share price.
• Stewart Information Services recently beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.78 EPS versus $0.52 expected and revenue of $778.4 million versus $730.43 million expected. Revenue rose 27.7% year over year.
• The stock was trading around $65.39 on Thursday, below both the revised target and its 52-week high of $78.61. Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other investors holding 96.9% of shares.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by equities research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $81.00 to $77.00 in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "outperform" rating on the insurance provider's stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods' price target would suggest a potential upside of 17.75% from the company's current price.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on STC. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $88.00 price target on shares of Stewart Information Services in a report on Monday, May 18th. Zacks Research raised Stewart Information Services to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen raised Stewart Information Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Stewart Information Services from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $81.67.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

NYSE STC traded down $2.67 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $65.39. 76,841 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 220,172. The business's fifty day moving average price is $67.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.37. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.60 and a beta of 0.99. Stewart Information Services has a 52 week low of $56.39 and a 52 week high of $78.61.

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, topping 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 business had revenue of $778.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $730.43 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.25 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 27.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Stewart Information Services will post 5.8 EPS for the current year.

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 dated 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 directly owned 61,929 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,414,299.12. This trade represents a 15.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $63.87 per share, with a total value of $63,870.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 25,034 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,598,921.58. This trade represents a 4.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.94% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 107.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 764,459 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $56,050,000 after acquiring an additional 396,390 shares during the last quarter. Zimmer Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the fourth quarter valued at about $24,901,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of Stewart Information Services by 75.9% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 701,148 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $49,263,000 after purchasing an additional 302,623 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter worth about $21,078,000. Finally, Ghisallo Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the fourth quarter worth about $19,673,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.90% of the company's stock.

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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