BDF Gestion Makes New Investment in Service Corporation International $SCI

Key Points

• BDF Gestion purchased a new position of 30,000 shares in Service Corporation International (SCI) during Q4, valued at approximately $2.34 million.
• Two insiders trimmed holdings recently: CAO Tammy R. Moore sold 5,000 shares at $80.48 and Director Tony Coelho sold 7,700 shares at $79.87, leaving corporate insiders with about 4.40% ownership.
• SCI raised its quarterly dividend to $0.34 (annualized $1.36, ~1.8% yield), while analysts retain a consensus "Buy" rating with an average target of $96.50 and JPMorgan setting a $110 target.

BDF Gestion purchased a new position in shares of Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 30,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,339,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Service Corporation International in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Service Corporation International in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new position in Service Corporation International in the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Service Corporation International in the third quarter valued at about $46,000. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Service Corporation International

In other Service Corporation International news, CAO Tammy R. Moore sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total transaction of $402,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 21,654 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,742,713.92. This trade represents a 18.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Tony Coelho sold 7,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.87, for a total transaction of $614,999.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 28,388 shares in the company, valued at $2,267,349.56. This trade represents a 21.34% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 4.40% of the company's stock.

Service Corporation International Stock Performance

NYSE SCI opened at $76.49 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $10.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.13, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. Service Corporation International has a twelve month low of $71.75 and a twelve month high of $86.67. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $80.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $80.33.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.14. Service Corporation International had a return on equity of 34.21% and a net margin of 12.59%.The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.06 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Service Corporation International will post 3.84 EPS for the current year.

Service Corporation International Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.34 dividend. This is an increase from Service Corporation International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. Service Corporation International's payout ratio is presently 35.79%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on SCI. Wall Street Zen cut Service Corporation International from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Service Corporation International from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Service Corporation International in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $110.00 target price on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $96.50.

Service Corporation International Profile

Service Corporation International NYSE: SCI is a leading provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services in North America. Through its network of funeral homes, cemeteries, memorial parks and crematoria, the company offers a broad array of end-of-life services, including traditional funeral ceremonies, memorialization, burial and cremation. In addition to core services, SCI provides grief counseling, pre-need planning and merchandise such as caskets, vaults, urns and memorialization products.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Service Corporation International operates more than 1,900 funeral homes, over 450 cemeteries and 40 combination facilities across the United States and Canada.

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