Core Insights - Service Corp. (SCI) reported revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter ended March 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 2.8% and a surprise of +1.94% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.05 billion [1] - Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $0.96, up from $0.89 in the same quarter last year, resulting in an EPS surprise of +6.67% compared to the consensus estimate of $0.90 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Total comparable funeral average revenue per service was $5,748, slightly above the estimated $5,720.04 [4] - The number of funeral services performed was 97,854, exceeding the average estimate of 92,544 [4] - Cemetery revenues were reported at $434.70 million, below the average estimate of $446.38 million, representing a year-over-year decline of -1.3% [4] - Funeral revenues reached $639.50 million, surpassing the estimated $607.33 million, marking a year-over-year increase of +5.8% [4] - Gross profit from cemetery services was $137.40 million, lower than the average estimate of $143.59 million [4] - Gross profit from funeral services was $154 million, exceeding the average estimate of $132.71 million [4] Stock Performance - Over the past month, shares of Service Corp. have returned -1%, compared to a -0.2% change in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Group 1: Earnings Performance - Carriage Services (CSV) reported quarterly earnings of $0.96 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.80 per share, and up from $0.75 per share a year ago [1] - The earnings surprise for this quarter was 20%, following a previous quarter where earnings of $0.62 per share surpassed expectations of $0.51 per share by 21.57% [2] - Over the last four quarters, the company has consistently surpassed consensus EPS estimates [2] Group 2: Revenue Performance - The company posted revenues of $107.07 million for the quarter ended March 2025, which was 4.72% above the Zacks Consensus Estimate and an increase from $103.49 million year-over-year [3] - Carriage Services has also topped consensus revenue estimates in each of the last four quarters [3] Group 3: Stock Performance and Outlook - Carriage Services shares have increased approximately 1.3% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with a decline of 5.5% in the S&P 500 [4] - The future performance of the stock will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and the company's earnings outlook [4][5] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.76 on revenues of $100.31 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $3.21 on revenues of $407.85 million [8] Group 4: Industry Context - The Funeral Services industry, to which Carriage Services belongs, is currently ranked in the top 36% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [9]

Core Viewpoint - Matthews International reported quarterly earnings of $0.34 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.36 per share, and down from $0.69 per share a year ago [1][2] Financial Performance - The company experienced an earnings surprise of -5.56% for the quarter, and previously, it had a significant earnings surprise of -46.15% when it reported $0.14 per share against an expectation of $0.26 per share [2] - Revenues for the quarter were $427.63 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.79%, and down from $471.22 million year-over-year [3] - Over the last four quarters, Matthews International has surpassed consensus EPS estimates only once and has topped consensus revenue estimates just once [2][3] Stock Performance - Matthews International shares have declined approximately 22.4% since the beginning of the year, compared to a decline of -5.5% for the S&P 500 [4] - The current Zacks Rank for the stock is 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market in the near future [7] Future Outlook - The consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.41 on revenues of $427 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.73 on revenues of $1.74 billion [8] - The outlook for the Funeral Services industry, where Matthews International operates, is currently in the top 36% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable environment for performance [9]

Group 1 - Service Corp. reported quarterly earnings of $0.96 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.90 per share, and up from $0.89 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of 6.67% [1] - The company posted revenues of $1.07 billion for the quarter ended March 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.94%, compared to year-ago revenues of $1.05 billion [2] - Service Corp. has outperformed the S&P 500, with shares adding about 0.4% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 declined by 5.5% [3] Group 2 - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is $0.87 on revenues of $1.04 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $3.82 on revenues of $4.26 billion [7] - The Funeral Services industry, to which Service Corp. belongs, is currently ranked in the top 36% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [8]

Core Insights - Carriage Services, Inc. reported strong financial results for Q1 2025, with a 4.6% increase in comparable funeral home revenue driven by a 2.4% rise in at-need volume and a 2.2% increase in average revenue per at-need contract, resulting in adjusted diluted EPS of $0.96, a 28% increase from the previous year [3][5][12] Financial Highlights - Total revenue for Q1 2025 was $107.1 million, a 3.5% increase from $103.5 million in Q1 2024, primarily due to an 11.8% increase in the average price per preneed interment rights sold and a 7.4% increase in total preneed sales [4][5][12] - Operating income rose to $31.6 million with an operating income margin of 29.5%, compared to $19.5 million and 18.8% in the prior year [4][5] - Net income increased by $14.0 million or 200.1% year-over-year, reaching $20.9 million, with diluted EPS of $1.34 compared to $0.45 in the prior year [5][19] - Adjusted consolidated EBITDA was $32.9 million with a margin of 30.8%, slightly down from $33.6 million and 32.5% in the previous year [4][14] Operational Metrics - The company sold 3,100 preneed interment rights at an average price of $5,490, up from $4,985 in the previous year [4][12] - Funeral contracts increased to 12,055 from 11,773 year-over-year, reflecting a 2.3% increase in average revenue per contract [4][5] Outlook for 2025 - The company anticipates total revenue between $400 million and $410 million for 2025, with adjusted consolidated EBITDA projected at $128 million to $133 million and adjusted diluted EPS expected to be between $3.10 and $3.30 [8][9][44] - The outlook includes the impact of divesting non-core assets, which is expected to reduce revenue and adjusted consolidated EBITDA by approximately $7.9 million and $2.3 million, respectively [8][9]

Core Viewpoint - Service Corporation International (SCI) is expected to show growth in both revenue and earnings for the first quarter of 2025, with revenue estimates at $1.05 billion and earnings per share at 90 cents, reflecting increases from the previous year [1][2]. Group 1: Revenue and Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SCI's revenues is $1.05 billion, indicating a 0.8% increase from the prior-year quarter [1]. - The consensus estimate for quarterly earnings per share is 90 cents, suggesting a 1.1% increase from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter [1]. - The Cemetery segment is projected to generate revenues of $446.4 million, up from $440.6 million in the previous year, while the Funeral segment is expected to contribute $607.3 million, slightly up from $604.7 million [3]. Group 2: Business Model and Strategic Positioning - SCI benefits from a recession-resilient business model and a diverse portfolio, including pre-need and at-need funeral and cemetery services [2]. - Favorable demographics, such as the aging baby boomer population and urbanization trends, position the company well for growth [2]. - Strategic investments in high-growth regions like California, Florida, and Texas, along with acquisitions of funeral homes and cemeteries, enhance SCI's service capabilities [2]. Group 3: Earnings Prediction and Market Position - The current Zacks Rank for SCI is 4 (Sell), and the Earnings ESP is 0.00%, indicating that the model does not predict an earnings beat this time [4]. - The company has a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 0.6% on average [1].

Core Viewpoint - Service Corporation International (SCI) is set to release its financial results for the first quarter of 2025 on April 30, 2025, followed by a conference call on May 1, 2025 [1][2] Company Overview - Service Corporation International, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of funeral, cemetery, and cremation services in North America, serving over 600,000 families annually [1] - The company operates a diversified portfolio of brands, offering a range of services from simple cremations to full life celebrations and personalized remembrances [1] - As of March 31, 2025, SCI owned and operated 1,489 funeral service locations and 496 cemeteries across 42 states, eight Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico [1]

Core Viewpoint - Carriage Services, Inc. is set to release its first quarter 2025 financial results on April 30, 2025, followed by a conference call on May 1, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time [1][2] Company Overview - Carriage Services is a prominent provider of funeral and cemetery services and merchandise in the United States, operating 160 funeral homes across 25 states and 28 cemeteries in 10 states [3] - The company focuses on delivering premier experiences through innovation, partnership, and elevated service [3]