Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Upgraded to "Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Stewart Information Services has been upgraded from a "hold" to a "buy" rating by Wall Street Zen, indicating increased analyst confidence in the company's stock.
• Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target for Stewart Information Services from $72 to $73, while maintaining a "market perform" rating.
• In the most recent earnings report, Stewart Information Services reported an EPS of $1.34, beating estimates and showing a 19.9% increase in revenue compared to the previous year.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Stewart Information Services from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Stewart Information Services presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $77.50.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

NYSE STC traded up $0.4450 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $70.3450. The company's stock had a trading volume of 23,115 shares, compared to its average volume of 186,928. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Stewart Information Services has a 1 year low of $56.39 and a 1 year high of $78.44. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $64.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.89. The company has a market capitalization of $1.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.61 and a beta of 0.91.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The insurance provider reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.04. Stewart Information Services had a return on equity of 7.71% and a net margin of 3.29%.The business had revenue of $721.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $671.90 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.91 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 19.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Stewart Information Services will post 6.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $59.63 per share, with a total value of $59,630.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 20,243 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,207,090.09. This trade represents a 5.20% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO David C. Hisey sold 2,224 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.39, for a total value of $143,203.36. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 58,359 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,757,736.01. The trade was a 3.67% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.78% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 14.0% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 11,161 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $753,000 after buying an additional 1,369 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 50,836 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,431,000 after acquiring an additional 5,575 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Stewart Information Services by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 109,884 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $7,416,000 after buying an additional 1,899 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Stewart Information Services by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 352,477 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $23,789,000 after acquiring an additional 20,465 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the 4th quarter worth about $4,034,000. 96.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

Stewart Information Services Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides title insurance and real estate transaction related services in the United States and internationally. The company involves in searching, examining, closing, and insuring the condition of the title to real property. It also offers home and personal insurance services; services for tax-deferred exchanges; and digital customer engagement platform services.