Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Stock Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• STC stock moved above its 200‑day moving average of $68.92, trading as high as $69.89 (last at $68.16) on Monday with volume of 136,331 shares.
• Analyst sentiment is bullish: four analysts rate the stock a Buy with a consensus target of $81.00, and several recent upgrades and raised price targets have been reported.
• Fundamentals and corporate actions: Stewart reported an EPS beat ($0.78 vs. $0.52) and revenue up 27.7% to $778.4M for the quarter, pays a $0.525 quarterly dividend (3.1% yield), and disclosed insider activity including a CFO sale and a director purchase.

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $68.92 and traded as high as $69.89. Stewart Information Services shares last traded at $68.16, with a volume of 136,331 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $65.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.12 and a quick ratio of 2.21. The company has a market capitalization of $2.07 billion, a PE ratio of 15.21 and a beta of 1.02.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) 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 analyst estimates of $730.43 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. Stewart Information Services's dividend payout ratio is presently 46.88%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO David C. Hisey sold 10,992 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were 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 represents a 15.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $65.34 per share, for a total transaction of $65,340.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 21,243 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,388,017.62. This represents a 4.94% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 2.94% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cooke & Bieler LP boosted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 23.2% during the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 551,519 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $40,437,000 after acquiring an additional 103,777 shares in the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,389,000. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Stewart Information Services by 111.0% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 57,198 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $4,194,000 after buying an additional 30,093 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $6,227,000. Finally, Portolan Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 3rd quarter valued at about $7,463,000. 96.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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