Short Interest in Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE:CSV) Expands By 24.1%

Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE:CSV) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 409,643 shares, an increase of 24.1% from the March 15th total of 330,208 shares. Currently, 2.7% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 114,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.6 days.

Carriage Services Stock Performance

Shares of CSV stock traded up $0.86 during trading on Friday, reaching $48.69. 60,430 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 98,935. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $766.87 million, a PE ratio of 14.94, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.92. Carriage Services has a twelve month low of $38.10 and a twelve month high of $49.41. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $44.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $43.79.

Carriage Services (NYSE:CSV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by ($0.05). Carriage Services had a net margin of 12.34% and a return on equity of 21.22%. The business had revenue of $105.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $103.50 million. Carriage Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.350-3.550 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Carriage Services will post 2.5 EPS for the current year.

Carriage Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.1125 per share. This represents a $0.45 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 4th. Carriage Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.80%.

Institutional Trading of Carriage Services

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Carriage Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $206,000. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in Carriage Services by 597.1% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 136,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,759,000 after acquiring an additional 116,617 shares during the period. Man Group plc bought a new position in Carriage Services during the fourth quarter worth about $957,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Carriage Services by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 10,775 shares of the company’s stock worth $456,000 after purchasing an additional 446 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Carriage Services in the 4th quarter worth about $1,488,000. Institutional investors own 66.46% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CSV has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Carriage Services in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of Carriage Services in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.00.

About Carriage Services

Carriage Services, Inc operates as a leading provider of funeral, cemetery and cremation services in the United States. The company owns and operates a network of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories and related service facilities, offering a comprehensive suite of end-of-life services. Its portfolio encompasses traditional funeral services, memorials, graveside burials, mausoleum entombment and direct cremation options, alongside personalized tributes and reception arrangements.

In addition to standard funeral and cemetery offerings, Carriage Services provides pre-arrangement planning and financing solutions designed to ease the administrative and financial burden on grieving families.