Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Short Interest Update

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 4,602,127 shares, an increase of 18.9% from the February 12th total of 3,869,468 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,099,069 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.2 days. Currently, 3.5% of the shares of the company are short sold. Currently, 3.5% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,099,069 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.2 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on SCI. Wall Street Zen downgraded Service Corporation International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Weiss Ratings raised Service Corporation International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Service Corporation International in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 price objective for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Service Corporation International has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $96.50.

Service Corporation International Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of SCI stock traded down $1.19 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $78.18. 312,126 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,109,895. The stock has a market cap of $10.88 billion, a PE ratio of 20.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.00. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $81.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $80.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. Service Corporation International has a 12 month low of $71.75 and a 12 month high of $86.67.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14. Service Corporation International had a return on equity of 34.21% and a net margin of 12.59%.The company had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.06 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Service Corporation International will post 3.84 EPS for the current year.

Service Corporation International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.34 per share. This is an increase from Service Corporation International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Service Corporation International’s dividend payout ratio is 35.79%.

Insider Activity at Service Corporation International

In related news, CAO Tammy R. Moore sold 5,000 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 21,654 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,742,713.92. This represents a 18.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Tony Coelho sold 7,700 shares of Service Corporation International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Service Corporation International

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CX Institutional lifted its stake in Service Corporation International by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 10,153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $845,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS raised its holdings in shares of Service Corporation International by 0.7% in the third quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 29,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,488,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its position in shares of Service Corporation International by 0.6% during the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 43,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,622,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its holdings in Service Corporation International by 3.1% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 10,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $848,000 after purchasing an additional 321 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in Service Corporation International during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 85.53% of the company’s stock.

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.