C WorldWide Group Holding A S Trims Position in Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI)

C WorldWide Group Holding A S trimmed its position in Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) by 2.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 405,087 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,149 shares during the period. Service Co. International comprises approximately 0.4% of C WorldWide Group Holding A S’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. C WorldWide Group Holding A S’s holdings in Service Co. International were worth $27,728,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Service Co. International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in shares of Service Co. International by 204.1% during the 4th quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 599 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares in the last quarter. M&R Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Service Co. International by 125.5% in the fourth quarter. M&R Capital Management Inc. now owns 902 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 502 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in shares of Service Co. International by 45.4% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,224 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 382 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in Service Co. International during the fourth quarter valued at $72,000. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Service Co. International Price Performance

Shares of Service Co. International stock traded up $0.90 during trading on Friday, hitting $71.74. 616,044 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 664,965. The stock has a market cap of $10.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.38, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.02. Service Co. International has a 52 week low of $52.89 and a 52 week high of $75.97. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $72.33 and its 200-day moving average is $66.63.

Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. Service Co. International had a net margin of 13.11% and a return on equity of 32.88%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.92 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Service Co. International will post 3.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Service Co. International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 14th. This is an increase from Service Co. International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.67%. Service Co. International’s payout ratio is currently 32.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Service Co. International

In other news, Director W Blair Waltrip sold 6,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.38, for a total value of $457,437.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 597,948 shares in the company, valued at $44,475,372.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Service Co. International news, CEO Thomas L. Ryan sold 16,580 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.20, for a total value of $1,197,076.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 988,365 shares in the company, valued at approximately $71,359,953. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director W Blair Waltrip sold 6,150 shares of Service Co. International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.38, for a total transaction of $457,437.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 597,948 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,475,372.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 202,675 shares of company stock worth $15,066,906 over the last three months. Company insiders own 5.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group upped their target price on Service Co. International from $72.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Service Co. International from $71.00 to $76.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $75.00.

About Service Co. International

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.