Fmr LLC Acquires 2,846,159 Shares of Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI)

Fmr LLC grew its stake in shares of Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) by 70.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,901,982 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,846,159 shares during the quarter. Fmr LLC owned 4.77% of Service Co. International worth $550,916,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in Service Co. International by 44.2% during the 4th quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 491,326 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,218,000 after acquiring an additional 150,580 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Service Co. International by 231.1% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 385,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,768,000 after purchasing an additional 269,043 shares during the last quarter. Mizuho Bank Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Service Co. International in the fourth quarter worth $40,000. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Service Co. International during the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Service Co. International during the 4th quarter valued at $340,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.53% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Service Co. International

In related news, CEO Thomas L. Ryan sold 50,000 shares of Service Co. International stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.56, for a total transaction of $4,228,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 982,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $83,066,078.48. This trade represents a 4.84 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Tony Coelho sold 6,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.29, for a total transaction of $515,385.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 46,824 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,674.96. The trade was a 12.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 5.10% of the company’s stock.

Service Co. International Stock Down 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE SCI opened at $73.54 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $78.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $80.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.60 billion, a PE ratio of 20.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83. Service Co. International has a 12 month low of $67.19 and a 12 month high of $89.37.

Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.06. Service Co. International had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 32.18%. Equities analysts expect that Service Co. International will post 3.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Service Co. International Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a $0.32 dividend. This is an increase from Service Co. International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.74%. Service Co. International’s dividend payout ratio is 36.06%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Service Co. International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Oppenheimer upped their price target on Service Co. International from $86.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $88.50.

Service Co. International Profile

Service Corp. International engages in the provision of funeral goods and services. It operates through the Funeral and Cemetery segments. The Funeral segment offers services related to cremations, including the use of home facilities and motor vehicles, arranging and directing services, removal, preparation, embalming, memorialization, and catering.