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

Stewart Information Services Co. (NYSE:STC) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 646,500 shares, a drop 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.

Insider Transactions at Stewart Information Services

In related news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.12, for a total transaction of $956,073.88. Following the sale, the director now owns 65,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,842,259.60. This represents a 16.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.99% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STC. Copeland Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Stewart Information Services during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $61,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of Stewart Information Services by 210.9% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,226 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $166,000 after purchasing an additional 1,510 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the third quarter worth $205,000. Atria Investments Inc purchased a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 3rd quarter valued at $207,000. Finally, Marietta Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 3rd quarter valued at $225,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.90% of the company’s stock.

Stewart Information Services Trading Up 0.7 %

STC traded up $0.45 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $65.14. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 166,101 shares, compared to its average volume of 160,460. The business’s 50-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. The stock has a market cap of $1.81 billion, a PE ratio of 30.73 and a beta of 1.24. Stewart Information Services has a fifty-two week low of $56.16 and a fifty-two week high of $78.44.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last posted 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. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 5.77%. The firm had revenue of $667.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $638.40 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.86 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Stewart Information Services will post 3.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stewart Information Services Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.