Tony Coelho Sells 7,700 Shares of Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Stock

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Director Tony Coelho sold 7,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 represents a 21.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Service Corporation International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SCI traded down $0.98 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $78.39. The company had a trading volume of 288,512 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,100,206. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $81.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $80.40. Service Corporation International has a one year low of $71.75 and a one year high of $86.67. The firm has a market cap of $10.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.63, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10.

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

Service Corporation International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.34 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Service Corporation International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Service Corporation International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Service Corporation International

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Toronto Dominion Bank bought a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International during the 4th quarter valued at $238,000. Aureus Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Service Corporation International in the fourth quarter worth $2,948,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Service Corporation International by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 139,415 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,870,000 after acquiring an additional 4,310 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Service Corporation International during the fourth quarter valued at $332,000. Finally, Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC increased its holdings in Service Corporation International by 45.9% in the 4th quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 26,028 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,029,000 after acquiring an additional 8,191 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.53% of the company’s stock.

About Service Corporation International

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.