Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC Has $1.50 Million Stake in First American Financial Co. (NYSE:FAF)

Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of First American Financial Co. (NYSE:FAF) by 6.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,297 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,469 shares during the period. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in First American Financial were worth $1,501,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its position in shares of First American Financial by 0.5% during the third quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 44,007 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,486,000 after buying an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. J.P. Morgan Private Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of First American Financial by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. J.P. Morgan Private Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,910 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $447,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System lifted its position in shares of First American Financial by 0.3% during the third quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 117,044 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $6,612,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of First American Financial by 0.6% during the third quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 55,462 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $3,133,000 after purchasing an additional 311 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC boosted its holdings in First American Financial by 2.0% during the third quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 18,353 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,037,000 after purchasing an additional 353 shares during the last quarter. 89.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First American Financial Stock Performance

NYSE FAF traded down $0.91 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $57.27. 161,740 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 688,318. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.96 and a beta of 1.28. First American Financial Co. has a 12-month low of $49.55 and a 12-month high of $65.54. The business has a 50 day moving average of $57.73 and a 200-day moving average of $58.27.

First American Financial (NYSE:FAF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The insurance provider reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.75 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.47 billion. First American Financial had a net margin of 3.61% and a return on equity of 8.27%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.35 EPS. On average, analysts expect that First American Financial Co. will post 4.29 EPS for the current year.

First American Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.70%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. First American Financial’s payout ratio is currently 101.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on FAF. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $73.00 target price on shares of First American Financial in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised First American Financial from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $66.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on First American Financial in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, TheStreet cut First American Financial from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First American Financial currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $68.00.

First American Financial Profile

First American Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides financial services. It operates through Title Insurance and Services, and Home Warranty segments. The Title Insurance and Services segment issues title insurance policies on residential and commercial property, as well as offers related products and services internationally.