Barclays PLC Acquires 30,196 Shares of Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI)

Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI - Free Report) by 24.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 153,571 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 30,196 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned about 0.11% of Service Co. International worth $12,257,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of SCI. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Service Co. International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. acquired a new stake in Service Co. International during the fourth quarter valued at $40,000. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Service Co. International in the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in Service Co. International in the 4th quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Service Co. International during the 4th quarter worth about $60,000. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Service Co. International Stock Performance

SCI traded down $0.50 on Friday, hitting $78.45. The company had a trading volume of 782,940 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,035,238. Service Co. International has a 1-year low of $67.19 and a 1-year high of $89.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The company's fifty day moving average price is $78.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $80.04. The stock has a market cap of $11.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.81.

Service Co. International (NYSE:SCI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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 predict 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th were given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.63%. This is a boost from Service Co. International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. Service Co. International's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Service Co. International

In other Service Co. International news, Director Tony Coelho sold 6,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.29, for a total transaction of $515,385.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 46,824 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,674.96. This trade represents a 12.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Thomas L. Ryan sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 982,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,066,078.48. This represents a 4.84 % 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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