Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong Sell”

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

Several other research firms also recently commented on SCI. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Service Corporation International from $105.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Service Corporation International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Service Corporation International from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Service Corporation International from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Service Corporation International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.67.

Service Corporation International Stock Up 2.6%

SCI stock opened at $77.10 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.48 billion, a PE ratio of 19.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.77. Service Corporation International has a 52 week low of $68.41 and a 52 week high of $90.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.16. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $79.56 and a 200 day moving average of $79.91.

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.02). Service Corporation International had a net margin of 12.70% and a return on equity of 34.96%. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.87 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Service Corporation International will post 4.00 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Service Corporation International

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Service Corporation International by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $573,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Service Corporation International by 20.0% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,204 shares of the company’s stock valued at $244,000 after acquiring an additional 533 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Service Corporation International in the 3rd quarter valued at $41,000. CX Institutional boosted its holdings in shares of Service Corporation International by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 12,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $940,000 after acquiring an additional 838 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services increased its stake in shares of Service Corporation International by 10.5% in the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 17,011 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,295,000 after acquiring an additional 1,619 shares during the period. 85.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Service Corporation International

Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) is a Houston-based provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services. The company operates funeral homes, cemeteries and cremation facilities, offering arrangements for traditional funerals, memorial services and cremations, as well as cemetery property, burial services and related merchandise.

SCI serves families primarily in the United States and Canada through a network of locations and a portfolio of brands that includes Dignity Memorial, Funeraria del Angel and Neptune Society.