De Lisle Partners LLP Increases Stock Position in Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE:CSV)

Key Points

• De Lisle Partners LLP increased its stake in Carriage Services, Inc. by 48.4%, acquiring an additional 60,030 shares, bringing its total ownership to 184,101 shares.
• Insider trading was noted as President Steven D. Metzger sold 3,000 shares at $40.60 per share, representing a 3.80% decrease in his ownership.
• Analysts have varied opinions on the stock, with Barrington Research giving an "outperform" rating and a price target of $50, while others have downgraded it to a "hold" rating.

De Lisle Partners LLP lifted its holdings in Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE:CSV - Free Report) by 48.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 184,101 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 60,030 shares during the period. Carriage Services comprises 1.2% of De Lisle Partners LLP's holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest position. De Lisle Partners LLP owned 1.18% of Carriage Services worth $7,148,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. LPL Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of Carriage Services by 120.2% in the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 135,893 shares of the company's stock worth $5,266,000 after purchasing an additional 74,193 shares during the period. Navellier & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Carriage Services during the first quarter valued at approximately $569,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Carriage Services during the first quarter valued at approximately $303,000. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Carriage Services by 4.1% during the first quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,456 shares of the company's stock valued at $250,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MQS Management LLC purchased a new stake in Carriage Services during the first quarter valued at approximately $621,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.46% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Carriage Services

In other news, President Steven D. Metzger sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.60, for a total value of $121,800.00. Following the sale, the president owned 75,897 shares in the company, valued at $3,081,418.20. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 2.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on CSV. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Carriage Services in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Carriage Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and set a $51.00 price target (up previously from $48.00) on shares of Carriage Services in a research note on Friday, May 2nd.

Carriage Services Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of Carriage Services stock opened at $45.35 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.35. Carriage Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $28.78 and a 12-month high of $47.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $711.46 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.17, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.89. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $44.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.56.

Carriage Services (NYSE:CSV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $0.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $8.47 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $104.17 million. Carriage Services had a net margin of 11.50% and a return on equity of 21.96%. Analysts predict that Carriage Services, Inc. will post 2.5 EPS for the current year.

Carriage Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 4th will be paid a $0.1125 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 4th. This represents a $0.45 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.99%. Carriage Services's payout ratio is currently 15.05%.

Carriage Services Company Profile

Carriage Services, Inc provides funeral and cemetery services, and merchandise in the United States. It operates in two segments, Funeral Home Operations and Cemetery Operations. The Funeral Home Operations segment provides consultation services; funeral home facilities for visitation and memorial services; transportation services; removal and preparation of remains; sale of caskets and urns; cremation services; and related funeral merchandise.

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