Empowered Funds LLC Invests $8.21 Million in Stewart Information Services Corporation $STC

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 124,367 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $8,211,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in STC. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter worth about $67,000. Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,762,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $10,991,000. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in Stewart Information Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $777,000. 96.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Brian Glaze sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.16, for a total transaction of $103,740.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 11,784 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,981.44. This trade represents a 11.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director C Allen Bradley, Jr. acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $63.87 per share, for a total transaction of $63,870.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 25,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,598,921.58. The trade was a 4.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.94% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:STC opened at $69.99 on Friday. Stewart Information Services Corporation has a 12-month low of $57.10 and a 12-month high of $78.61. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $68.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.89. The firm has a market cap of $2.14 billion, a PE ratio of 15.35 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.24). The business had revenue of $895.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $838.07 million. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 4.12% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 24.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.34 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Stewart Information Services Corporation will post 5.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Stewart Information Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $88.00 price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Stewart Information Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $77.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Benchmark initiated coverage on Stewart Information Services in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $87.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings raised Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $81.50.

Stewart Information Services Profile

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE: STC) is a publicly traded provider of title insurance and real estate transaction services. The company underwrites title insurance policies for residential and commercial properties, offering lenders and property owners protection against title defects and liens. Beyond title insurance, Stewart delivers a range of ancillary services, including closing and escrow administration, property valuation, and risk mitigation solutions designed to streamline the mortgage process and reduce operational complexity for clients.

In addition to core title and settlement services, Stewart offers technology-driven products aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency in real estate transactions.