GAMMA Investing LLC Increases Holdings in Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI)

GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) by 11.1% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,746 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC’s holdings in Service Co. International were worth $138,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its stake in shares of Service Co. International by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,810,148 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,875,000 after purchasing an additional 61,838 shares in the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Service Co. International in the second quarter worth $102,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Service Co. International during the second quarter valued at about $116,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Service Co. International during the second quarter valued at about $344,000. Finally, Heritage Oak Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Service Co. International in the second quarter worth about $395,000. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Service Co. International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SCI opened at $75.60 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.05. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $77.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $73.64. The company has a market cap of $11.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.84. Service Co. International has a 12 month low of $52.89 and a 12 month high of $81.32.

Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($0.07). Service Co. International had a net margin of 12.32% and a return on equity of 32.07%. The business had revenue of $1.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.83 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Service Co. International will post 3.52 EPS for the current year.

Service Co. International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th were paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. Service Co. International’s payout ratio is 34.48%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on SCI shares. Truist Financial increased their target price on Service Co. International from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 21st. StockNews.com lowered Service Co. International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Service Co. International news, Director Ellen Ochoa sold 2,642 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 988,365 shares in the company, valued at $73,109,359.05. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen Ochoa sold 2,642 shares of Service Co. International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 22nd. The shares were 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 insiders.

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.