Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. Cuts Stake in Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI)

Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. lowered its holdings in Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI - Free Report) by 12.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 533,078 shares of the company's stock after selling 75,400 shares during the quarter. Service Co. International makes up 0.7% of Comgest Global Investors S.A.S.'s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. owned 0.37% of Service Co. International worth $42,550,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Service Co. International during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. purchased a new position in Service Co. International in the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Service Co. International in the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in shares of Service Co. International in the 4th quarter valued at about $52,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Service Co. International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $60,000. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Service Co. International from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Service Co. International has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $88.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Service Co. International

In related news, CEO Thomas L. Ryan sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.56, for a total transaction of $4,228,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 982,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,066,078.48. This trade represents a 4.84 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tony Coelho sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.29, for a total transaction of $515,385.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 46,824 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,712,674.96. The trade was a 12.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 4.40% of the company's stock.

Service Co. International Stock Performance

Shares of Service Co. International stock traded up $0.90 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $77.55. The company had a trading volume of 875,110 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,031,018. Service Co. International has a 12-month low of $67.19 and a 12-month high of $89.37. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $78.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $79.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83. The stock has a market cap of $11.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.85, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.81.

Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $1.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06. Service Co. International had a return on equity of 32.18% and a net margin of 12.39%. As a group, analysts predict that Service Co. International will post 3.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Service Co. International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Service Co. International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.65%. Service Co. International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.06%.

Service Co. International Company Profile

Service Corp. International engages in the provision of funeral goods and services. It operates through the Funeral and Cemetery segments. The Funeral segment offers services related to cremations, including the use of home facilities and motor vehicles, arranging and directing services, removal, preparation, embalming, memorialization, and catering.