Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) Rating Increased to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

Service Co. International Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of SCI stock traded up $0.78 during trading on Thursday, hitting $82.43. 59,979 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 899,510. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.05, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.55. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $77.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $74.03. Service Co. International has a twelve month low of $56.38 and a twelve month high of $82.94.

Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.79. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. Service Co. International had a net margin of 12.19% and a return on equity of 32.20%. Service Co. International’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.78 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Service Co. International will post 3.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Service Co. International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.46%. Service Co. International’s dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.

Insider Activity at Service Co. International

In related news, Director Ellen Ochoa sold 2,642 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.41, for a total transaction of $201,875.22. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Thomas L. Ryan sold 80,638 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.97, for a total value of $5,964,792.86. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 988,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $73,109,359.05. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ellen Ochoa sold 2,642 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.41, for a total value of $201,875.22. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 5.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Service Co. International

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BDF Gestion bought a new position in Service Co. International in the 2nd quarter worth $3,948,000. Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Service Co. International during the 1st quarter worth about $865,000. Boston Trust Walden Corp boosted its stake in Service Co. International by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 684,846 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,713,000 after purchasing an additional 17,874 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Service Co. International by 12.8% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 103,477 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,680,000 after purchasing an additional 11,709 shares during the period. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Service Co. International in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $917,000. Institutional investors own 85.53% of the company’s stock.

Service Co. International Company Profile

Service Corporation International provides deathcare products and services in the United States and Canada. Its funeral service and cemetery operations comprise funeral service locations, cemeteries, funeral service/cemetery combination locations, crematoria, and other businesses. The company also provides professional services related to funerals and cremations, including the use of funeral home facilities and motor vehicles; arranging and directing services; and removal, preparation, embalming, cremation, memorialization, and travel protection, as well as catering services.