Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Stephens

Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) in a research report released on Friday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued an overweight rating and a $86.00 price objective on the stock.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Service Corporation International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings raised Service Corporation International from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Zacks Research downgraded Service Corporation International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. UBS Group cut their price target on Service Corporation International from $105.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Service Corporation International from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $93.25.

Service Corporation International Price Performance

Service Corporation International stock opened at $74.91 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $10.18 billion, a PE ratio of 18.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.77. Service Corporation International has a 52-week low of $68.41 and a 52-week high of $90.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.16. The company’s 50 day moving average is $78.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.66.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.99 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.10 billion. Service Corporation International had a net margin of 12.70% and a return on equity of 34.96%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Service Corporation International will post 4.00 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Service Corporation International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 15th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Service Corporation International’s payout ratio is presently 35.73%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Service Corporation International

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Service Corporation International during the 2nd quarter worth about $80,965,000. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Service Corporation International by 12.0% during the 1st quarter. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,161,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,835,000 after acquiring an additional 124,151 shares in the last quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 74,387 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,904,000. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its position in shares of Service Corporation International by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 881,985 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,996,000 after acquiring an additional 32,137 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.53% of the company’s stock.

Service Corporation International Company Profile

Service Corporation International (SCI) is a provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services in the United States and Canada. Its offerings include funeral and memorial services, cremation, cemetery property and merchandise, as well as advance-planning arrangements. The company serves families through a network of funeral homes and cemeteries, including locations that operate under brands such as Dignity Memorial, Funeraria del Angel and National Cremation Society. Founded in 1962 by Robert L. Waltrip, Service Corporation International is headquartered in Houston, Texas.