Short Interest in Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC) Declines By 15.2%

Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 646,500 shares, a decrease of 15.2% from the December 15th total of 762,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 157,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.1 days.

Stewart Information Services Stock Up 0.7 %

Stewart Information Services stock traded up $0.45 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $65.14. The company had a trading volume of 166,101 shares, compared to its average volume of 160,460. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $70.54 and its 200-day moving average is $70.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 1.94. Stewart Information Services has a fifty-two week low of $56.16 and a fifty-two week high of $78.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.73 and a beta of 1.24.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The insurance provider reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $667.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $638.40 million. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 5.77%. Stewart Information Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.86 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Stewart Information Services will post 3.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.07%. Stewart Information Services’s payout ratio is presently 94.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on STC shares. StockNews.com raised Stewart Information Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Stewart Information Services from $84.00 to $74.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Stewart Information Services news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.12, for a total value of $956,073.88. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 65,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,842,259.60. This trade represents a 16.49 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.99% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in STC. Copeland Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter worth about $61,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in Stewart Information Services by 210.9% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,226 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $166,000 after buying an additional 1,510 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $205,000. Atria Investments Inc acquired a new position in Stewart Information Services during the third quarter worth approximately $207,000. Finally, Marietta Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter worth about $225,000. Institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

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.