Based on the aggregated intelligence of 145,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, real estate information and services provider Stewart Information Services (NYSE: STC ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Stewart's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Stewart facts
|
Headquarters (Founded)
|
Houston (1893)
|
|
Market Cap
|
$187 million
|
|
Industry
|
Insurance
|
|
Trailing-12-Month Revenue
|
$1.54 billion
|
|
Management
|
Co-CEO Malcolm Morris (since 2000)
Co-CEO Stewart Morris Jr. (since 2000)
|
|
Trailing-12-Month Return on Capital
|
(12.2%)
|
|
Cash / Debt
|
$127 million / $304 million
|
|
Competitors
|
Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF )
First American (NYSE: FAF )
|
|
CAPS Members Bullish on STC Also Bullish on
|
Buffalo Wild Wings (Nasdaq: BWLD )
Dawson Geophysical (Nasdaq: DWSN )
|
|
CAPS Members Bearish on STC Also Bearish on
|
Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM )
D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI )
|
Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 88% of the 168 members who have rated Stewart believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include All-Stars sandvig and mrindependent, both of whom are ranked in the top 1% of our community.
This past summer, sandvig explained why Stewart is more recession-proof than Mr. Market thinks:
Regardless of whether things get better in the real estate market in the next five years (and I think they will), properties will change hands. When properties change hands, people buy title insurance. Their premiums are a function of market price, so higher prices help, but they do not have the same risk as buyers when prices go down.
In a pitch from last week, mrindependent agrees with that line of thinking:
Stewart Information Services Corp is a highly solvent title company selling for 0.49 times book value. ... The company lost money in 2009 and 2008 but analysts expect a small profit for 2010. An insider named Edgar Allen Smith is consistently buying shares. Although I am aware that Stewart Information Services has a tough road to walk in the current economic climate, I am excited by the opportunity to get into the lucrative title insurance industry at such a low price.
What do you think about Stewart, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to find them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!
RSS Headlines
Fool UK