Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Sets New 12-Month High Following Dividend Announcement

Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC) shares hit a new 52-week high on Monday following a dividend announcement from the company. The stock traded as high as $76.88 and last traded at $76.77, with a volume of 100868 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $75.09.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.62%. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 94.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services from $71.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a PE ratio of 35.42 and a beta of 1.21. The business’s 50-day moving average is $71.50 and its 200 day moving average is $69.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 1.94.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The insurance provider reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $667.94 million for 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%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.86 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Stewart Information Services Co. will post 3.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Stewart Information Services news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.12, for a total value of $956,073.88. Following the sale, the director now owns 65,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,842,259.60. This trade represents a 16.49 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Stewart Information Services by 57.7% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 716 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter valued at about $61,000. Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth about $65,000. nVerses Capital LLC bought a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth about $74,000. Finally, Heritage Family Offices LLP bought a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the second quarter worth about $204,000. Institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

About Stewart Information Services

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.