Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Shares Cross Below 50 Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• SCI shares fell below their 50-day moving average, trading as low as $76.30 versus the $81.94 average, with about 1.05 million shares changing hands.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive: SCI has a consensus “Buy” rating and a $100.67 target price, while its latest quarter beat earnings and revenue expectations.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.36 per share, equivalent to a $1.44 annualized payout and a 1.9% yield; meanwhile, CEO Thomas Ryan sold roughly $21.6 million worth of shares.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $81.94 and traded as low as $76.30. Service Corporation International shares last traded at $76.5110, with a volume of 1,054,928 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on SCI. UBS Group upped their target price on Service Corporation International from $93.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Service Corporation International from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Service Corporation International from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Service Corporation International currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $100.67.

Service Corporation International Trading Up 0.5%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.32. The company's 50-day moving average is $81.94 and its 200 day moving average is $79.57. The company has a market cap of $10.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.81.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.01. Service Corporation International had a return on equity of 34.38% and a net margin of 12.30%.The company had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.88 EPS. Service Corporation International's quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Service Corporation International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. Research analysts predict that Service Corporation International will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Service Corporation International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Service Corporation International's dividend payout ratio is 37.60%.

Insider Activity at Service Corporation International

In related news, CEO Thomas Ryan sold 253,391 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.25, for a total transaction of $21,601,582.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,006,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $85,779,573. The trade was a 20.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Service Corporation International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Service Corporation International by 12.0% during the first quarter. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,161,496 shares of the company's stock worth $95,835,000 after buying an additional 124,151 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International during the second quarter valued at about $80,965,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in Service Corporation International by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 881,985 shares of the company's stock valued at $66,996,000 after purchasing an additional 32,137 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Service Corporation International by 18.3% in the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 164,939 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,609,000 after buying an additional 25,524 shares during the period. Finally, Aureus Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Service Corporation International by 196.8% during the 1st quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 112,192 shares of the company's stock worth $9,257,000 after buying an additional 74,387 shares during the period. 85.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Service Corporation International Company Profile

Service Corporation International NYSE: SCI is a provider of deathcare services in North America. The company operates funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoria, offering funeral, burial, cremation and memorialization services to families.

SCI also provides prearranged funeral and cemetery services, allowing customers to plan and fund arrangements in advance. Its services are marketed through brands including Dignity Memorial, Neptune Society, Funeraria del Angel and Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services.

Founded in 1962 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Service Corporation International serves communities throughout the United States and Canada.

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