Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Given New $97.00 Price Target at Oppenheimer

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) had its price objective boosted by Oppenheimer from $94.00 to $97.00 in a research report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. Oppenheimer currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

SCI has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Service Corporation International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Service Corporation International in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Service Corporation International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $98.00.

Service Corporation International Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE SCI opened at $84.77 on Thursday. 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 has a 12-month low of $71.75 and a 12-month high of $86.67. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $80.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $80.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.97.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $1.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.06 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, 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 was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a $0.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date was 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 dividend yield of 1.6%. Service Corporation International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.79%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Service Corporation International news, CAO Tammy R. Moore sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total value of $402,400.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 21,654 shares in the company, valued at $1,742,713.92. This trade represents a 18.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Tony Coelho sold 7,700 shares of Service Corporation International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.87, for a total value of $614,999.00. Following the sale, the director owned 28,388 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,267,349.56. This trade represents a 21.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SCI. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in Service Corporation International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Service Corporation International during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Service Corporation International during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International during the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International during the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Hedge funds and other 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.