Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) to Issue Dividend Increase – $0.55 Per Share

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.55 per share by the insurance provider on Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This is a 4.8% increase from Stewart Information Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53.

Stewart Information Services has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 4 years. Stewart Information Services has a dividend payout ratio of 32.7% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Stewart Information Services to earn $6.25 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.10 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 33.6%.

Stewart Information Services Stock Performance

STC stock opened at $68.62 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $68.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.85. Stewart Information Services has a 1-year low of $57.10 and a 1-year high of $78.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market cap of $2.09 billion, a PE ratio of 15.05 and a beta of 0.98.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.24). Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 4.12% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The business had revenue of $895.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $838.07 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.34 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Stewart Information Services will post 5.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on STC shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Stewart Information Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. Benchmark began coverage on Stewart Information Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $87.00 target price for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded Stewart Information Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $77.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Stewart Information Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $88.00 price objective on shares of Stewart Information Services in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Four research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Stewart Information Services currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $81.50.

About Stewart Information Services

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.