Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Shares of Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $85.00 and last traded at $84.88, with a volume of 226174 shares. The stock had previously closed at $83.70.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on SCI shares. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Service Corporation International from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Service Corporation International in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 price target for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Service Corporation International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $96.50.

Service Corporation International Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.17. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $79.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $79.89. The stock has a market cap of $11.87 billion, a PE ratio of 22.82, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.99.

Insider Transactions at Service Corporation International

In other news, VP Elisabeth G. Nash sold 42,400 shares of Service Corporation International stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.32, for a total value of $3,235,968.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 110,006 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,395,657.92. This trade represents a 27.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 4.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Service Corporation International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CX Institutional lifted its position in shares of Service Corporation International by 1.3% during the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 10,153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $845,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS raised its stake in shares of Service Corporation International by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 29,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,488,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its stake in shares of Service Corporation International by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 43,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,622,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its position in Service Corporation International by 60.1% during the second quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 743 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in Service Corporation International by 3.1% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 10,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $848,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares in 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.