Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Given Average Rating of "Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Five brokerages rate Service Corporation International as a "Buy" with an average 12‑month target of $98, including JPMorgan's $110 overweight and Oppenheimer's raised $97 objective.
• Quarterly results & outlook: SCI posted $1.14 EPS (in line) on $1.11B revenue (slightly below expectations), and analysts project about $3.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Dividends, insiders & ownership: The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.34 (annualized $1.36, ~1.6% yield); insiders have recently sold shares while institutional investors own roughly 85.5% of the stock, and the firm carries significant leverage (debt/equity ~3.1).

Shares of Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Buy" from the five research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $98.00.

SCI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Service Corporation International from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Service Corporation International in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $110.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Service Corporation International from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on Service Corporation International from $94.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday.

Service Corporation International Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE SCI opened at $84.77 on Friday. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $80.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $80.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. The stock has a market cap of $11.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.31, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.97. Service Corporation International has a 12-month low of $71.75 and a 12-month high of $86.67.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.06 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Service Corporation International will post 3.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Service Corporation International Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.34 per share. This is a boost from Service Corporation International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Service Corporation International's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.79%.

Insider Transactions at Service Corporation International

In other news, CAO Tammy R. Moore sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total value of $402,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 21,654 shares in the company, valued at $1,742,713.92. This trade represents a 18.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tony Coelho sold 7,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.87, for a total transaction of $614,999.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 28,388 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,267,349.56. This trade represents a 21.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 4.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Service Corporation International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Toronto Dominion Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $238,000. Aureus Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Service Corporation International during the fourth quarter worth $2,948,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in Service Corporation International by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 139,415 shares of the company's stock worth $10,870,000 after purchasing an additional 4,310 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International in the 4th quarter worth about $332,000. Finally, Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC grew its position in shares of Service Corporation International by 45.9% in the fourth quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 26,028 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,029,000 after purchasing an additional 8,191 shares during the last quarter. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Service Corporation International Company 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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