Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI) Shares Sold by Alpine Peaks Capital LP

Alpine Peaks Capital LP reduced its position in shares of Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI - Free Report) by 29.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 66,341 shares of the company's stock after selling 27,255 shares during the period. Service Co. International accounts for about 4.3% of Alpine Peaks Capital LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Alpine Peaks Capital LP's holdings in Service Co. International were worth $5,295,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Service Co. International by 94.5% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 123,375 shares of the company's stock worth $9,738,000 after buying an additional 59,956 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Service Co. International by 33.2% during the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 6,388 shares of the company's stock worth $557,000 after acquiring an additional 1,594 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Service Co. International by 4,977.3% in the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 155,567 shares of the company's stock worth $12,279,000 after acquiring an additional 152,503 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in Service Co. International by 263.1% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 15,912 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,206,000 after purchasing an additional 11,530 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Service Co. International by 20.8% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,110 shares of the company's stock worth $168,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares during the last quarter. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Service Co. International Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of SCI stock traded up $1.35 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $79.77. The company had a trading volume of 1,048,635 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,039,518. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $78.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $80.15. The company has a market capitalization of $11.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.52. Service Co. International has a twelve month low of $67.19 and a twelve month high of $89.37.

Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $1.06 earnings per share 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Service Co. International will post 3.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Service Co. International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This is a positive change from Service Co. International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.60%. Service Co. International's payout ratio is presently 36.06%.

Insider Transactions at Service Co. International

In other Service Co. International news, CEO Thomas L. Ryan sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.56, for a total value of $4,228,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 982,333 shares of the company's stock, valued at $83,066,078.48. This trade represents a 4.84 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Tony Coelho sold 6,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.29, for a total value of $515,385.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 46,824 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,712,674.96. This trade represents a 12.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 4.40% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com raised Service Co. International from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $88.50.

About Service Co. International

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.