Service Corporation International (SCI) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.34 on March 31st

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of 0.34 per share on Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a 6.3% increase from Service Corporation International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32.

Service Corporation International has raised its dividend by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 15 consecutive years. Service Corporation International has a dividend payout ratio of 32.6% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Service Corporation International to earn $4.21 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.36 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 32.3%.

Service Corporation International Stock Performance

Shares of Service Corporation International stock opened at $79.37 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $81.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $80.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.89, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.00. Service Corporation International has a 12 month low of $71.75 and a 12 month high of $86.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.50.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.14. Service Corporation International had a net margin of 12.59% and a return on equity of 34.21%. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.06 EPS. Service Corporation International’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Service Corporation International will post 3.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.