Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE:CSV) Short Interest Up 24.1% in March

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

Carriage Services Trading Up 1.8%

Carriage Services stock traded up $0.86 during trading hours 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 firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $44.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.79. Carriage Services has a twelve month low of $38.10 and a twelve month high of $49.41. The firm 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 (NYSE:CSV) last issued 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). The business had revenue of $105.48 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $103.50 million. Carriage Services had a return on equity of 21.22% and a net margin of 12.34%.Carriage Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.350-3.550 EPS. Research analysts predict that Carriage Services will post 2.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Carriage Services Announces Dividend

The company 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 $0.1125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 4th. This represents a $0.45 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Carriage Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.80%.

Institutional Trading of Carriage Services

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Carriage Services by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,021,161 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,483,000 after buying an additional 38,738 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Carriage Services by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 480,788 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,414,000 after buying an additional 3,550 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Carriage Services by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 386,018 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,333,000 after buying an additional 5,870 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Carriage Services by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 311,272 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,167,000 after buying an additional 3,950 shares during the period. Finally, Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Carriage Services by 16.7% in the 4th quarter. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. now owns 246,699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,435,000 after buying an additional 35,274 shares during the period. 66.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of Carriage Services in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Carriage Services in a report on Monday, December 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.00.

Carriage Services Company Profile

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.