Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Brokerages are bullish on SCI, with five analysts covering the stock giving it an average recommendation of “Buy” and a consensus 12-month price target of $95.
• Recent earnings were mixed: Service Corporation International reported $0.97 EPS versus $1.00 expected and revenue of $544.8 million, though revenue still rose 2.1% year over year.
• The company raised its dividend to $0.36 per quarter from $0.34, implying a $1.44 annualized payout and a 1.9% yield.

Shares of Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Buy" by the five brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $95.00.

Several research firms recently weighed in on SCI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Service Corporation International from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Service Corporation International from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Service Corporation International from $94.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Service Corporation International from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Service Corporation International from $95.00 to $93.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st.

Insider Buying and Selling at Service Corporation International

In related news, Director Tony Coelho sold 7,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.87, for a total value of $614,999.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 28,388 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,267,349.56. This trade represents a 21.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 3.40% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Service Corporation International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. boosted its position 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 purchasing an additional 124,151 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in Service Corporation International by 18.3% during the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 164,939 shares of the company's stock worth $13,609,000 after purchasing an additional 25,524 shares during the period. Aureus Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Service Corporation International by 196.8% during the first quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 112,192 shares of the company's stock worth $9,257,000 after purchasing an additional 74,387 shares during the period. Advisors Preferred LLC boosted its position in Service Corporation International by 81.0% during the first quarter. Advisors Preferred LLC now owns 6,579 shares of the company's stock worth $543,000 after purchasing an additional 2,945 shares during the period. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in Service Corporation International by 35.7% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 612 shares of the company's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the period. 85.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Service Corporation International Price Performance

NYSE SCI opened at $77.41 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.22. Service Corporation International has a 12-month low of $74.99 and a 12-month high of $88.67. The company has a market capitalization of $10.68 billion, a PE ratio of 20.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.88. The firm's 50 day moving average is $80.80 and its 200-day moving average is $80.32.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.00 by ($0.03). Service Corporation International had a net margin of 12.36% and a return on equity of 34.30%. The business had revenue of $544.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.96 earnings per share. Service Corporation International's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Service Corporation International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.050-4.350 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Service Corporation International will post 4.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Service Corporation International Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.36 dividend. This is a boost from Service Corporation International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Service Corporation International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.88%.

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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