Oppenheimer Increases Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Price Target to $97.00

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) had its price objective boosted by research analysts at Oppenheimer from $94.00 to $97.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 15.21% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Service Corporation International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Service Corporation International in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Service Corporation International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Service Corporation International currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $98.00.

Service Corporation International Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of SCI traded up $1.33 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $84.19. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 438,905 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,144,215. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.50. Service Corporation International has a 12-month low of $71.75 and a 12-month high of $86.67. The stock has a market cap of $11.68 billion, a PE ratio of 22.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.00. The company’s 50 day moving average is $80.84 and its 200 day moving average is $80.41.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.14. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.12 billion. Service Corporation International had a return on equity of 34.21% and a net margin of 12.59%.The firm’s revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.06 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Service Corporation International will post 3.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Service Corporation International news, CAO Tammy R. Moore sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.48, for a total transaction of $402,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 21,654 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,742,713.92. This represents a 18.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Tony Coelho sold 7,700 shares of Service Corporation International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.87, for a total transaction of $614,999.00. Following the sale, the director owned 28,388 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,267,349.56. The trade was a 21.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Service Corporation International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Service Corporation International during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Service Corporation International during the third quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Service Corporation International in the third quarter valued at about $46,000. 85.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Service Corporation International Company Profile

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.