Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company generated adjusted earnings per share of $0.88, an increase of over 11% compared to $0.79 in the prior year period [5] - Total comparable funeral revenue increased by over $15 million, or about 3%, compared to the prior year quarter [5] - Funeral gross profit increased by about $15 million, with the gross profit percentage rising by 20 basis points [6][10] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Comparable core funeral revenues increased by $8 million, or about 2%, driven by a 3.3% growth in core average revenue per service [6] - Comparable cemetery revenue increased by $2 million, or almost 1%, with a core revenue increase of about $1 million [8][9] - Preneed funeral sales production decreased by $29 million, or about 9%, primarily due to the transition to a new preneed insurance provider [7] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company anticipates comparable core preneed sales production growth in 2025, despite a decrease in the current quarter [7] - The transition to the new preneed insurance provider has impacted sales production, but the company expects growth in the future [7][8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company confirmed its normalized earnings per share guidance range of $3.7 to $4 for 2025, raising its cash flow outlook due to stronger working capital trends [10] - The company plans to invest $100 million in capital expenditures, focusing on existing locations, cemetery development, and new builds [17][18] - The acquisition pipeline remains optimistic, with an anticipated investment target of $75 million to $125 million for 2025 [19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving revenue and margin growth for both funeral and cemetery segments in the remainder of 2025 [10] - The company expects preneed cemetery and funeral sales production to grow at low to mid-single-digit percentages over the prior year's six-month period [11] - Management acknowledged the challenges posed by higher effective tax rates but remains optimistic about cash flow and operational performance [21] Other Important Information - The company returned $239 million of capital to shareholders in the second quarter through dividends and share repurchases [19] - The company ended the quarter with liquidity of about $1.4 billion, consisting of approximately $250 million in cash and $1.2 billion available on its long-term bank credit facility [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: What caused the dip in the recognition rate in the current quarter? - Management attributed the dip to normal volatility in cemetery production and expects the recognition rate to return to normal in the second half of the year [26][27] Question: What are the expectations for the cremation rate moving forward? - Management indicated that the pace of increase in the cremation rate may moderate, adjusting expectations to a range of 50 to 80 basis points [30][32] Question: How will the changes in cash taxes affect long-term cash flow? - Management expects a $30 million benefit from lower cash taxes this year, with ongoing benefits from capital improvements [34][39] Question: What are the expectations for funeral volumes in the back half of the year? - Management noted that the third quarter may present tougher comparisons for funeral volumes, while cemetery revenues are expected to be strong [42] Question: How is the company performing in preneed sales production? - Management expects low to mid-single-digit growth in preneed sales production for both funeral and cemetery segments in the second half of the year [58][60] Question: What is the outlook for capital deployment given the increase in cash flows? - Management indicated that capital will be deployed to the highest return opportunities, including M&A and new construction projects [66][70]

Financial Performance - For the quarter ended June 2025, Service Corp. reported revenue of $1.07 billion, reflecting a 3% increase year-over-year [1] - Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $0.88, up from $0.79 in the same quarter last year [1] - The reported revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.05 billion by 1.48%, while the EPS surpassed the consensus estimate of $0.84 by 4.76% [1] Key Metrics - Total comparable funeral average revenue per service was $5,807, slightly above the two-analyst average estimate of $5,762.86 [4] - The number of funeral services performed was 87,014, exceeding the two-analyst average estimate of 86,839 [4] - Cemetery revenue reached $474.1 million, surpassing the estimated $471.26 million by three analysts, representing a 1.3% increase compared to the year-ago quarter [4] - Funeral revenue was $591.4 million, exceeding the estimated $578.6 million by three analysts, marking a 4.5% increase year-over-year [4] - Gross profit from cemetery services was $155.5 million, above the estimated $154.19 million, while gross profit from funeral services was $116 million, exceeding the estimate of $106.85 million [4] Stock Performance - Shares of Service Corp. have returned -7.4% over the past month, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.4% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Summary of Service Corporation International (SCI) FY Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Service Corporation International (SCI) - **Industry**: Funeral services and cemetery offerings - **Position**: Largest owner of funeral homes and cemeteries in North America, with approximately 1,500 funeral homes and 500 cemeteries [6][7] Core Business Model and Strategy - **Market Share**: Funeral business has a market share of about 15%, while the cemetery segment has a market share of approximately 28-30% [7] - **Growth Strategy**: Focus on preneed contracts to capture market share and build a trust fund portfolio [2] - **Earnings Growth**: Historical EPS growth of 8% to 12%, with 5% to 6% from organic growth and 2% to 3% from inorganic growth [9][10] Demographic Trends - **Target Demographic**: Aging baby boomer population, with average ages for funeral services at 82-84 years and cemetery services at around 65 years [8] - **Consumer Behavior**: Shift towards lighter celebrations of life rather than formal services, leading to a transformation in service offerings [8] Financial Performance - **Funeral Volume Trends**: Experienced a spike during the pandemic with an additional 130,000 funerals performed, followed by stabilization and a slight decline in volumes [15][16] - **Revenue per Service**: Steady growth in funeral revenue per service in the low single digits, driven by inflationary price increases and enhanced service offerings [17][20] Preneed Sales - **Preneed Merchandise and Services**: Approximately $2.6 billion in annual sales, with $1.2 billion from funeral services and $1.4 billion from cemetery services [22] - **Backlog**: $16 billion backlog, split between trust funds and life insurance policies, with improved economics due to a recent partnership with Global Atlantic [23][24] Cemetery Segment Insights - **Sales Composition**: Preneed cemetery sales consist of large sales (over $80,000) making up 10-15% of total sales, with core sales being more consistent [27][28] - **Consumer Trends**: Increased interest from baby boomers purchasing adjacent cemetery properties after burying loved ones [29] - **Margin Expansion**: Cemetery segment margins have expanded from 12-13% to 30-35% due to tiered pricing strategies and high-end sales [33][55] Future Outlook - **Growth Projections**: Anticipated return to mid-single-digit growth in preneed cemetery sales as baby boomers continue to influence the market [36] - **EPS Guidance**: Expected EPS growth in the lower end of the 8% to 12% range for 2025, influenced by tax rate changes and stabilization in funeral volumes [58][59] Capital Allocation - **Free Cash Flow**: Projected free cash flow of approximately $550 million, with plans for M&A, construction, dividends, and share repurchases [61][62] Key Takeaways - **Market Position**: SCI is well-positioned to capitalize on demographic trends and has a robust strategy for growth through preneed sales and service innovation [2][8] - **Financial Stability**: Strong cash flow and margin expansion indicate a healthy financial outlook, despite recent fluctuations in funeral volumes [61][55] - **Consumer Relevance**: Continuous adaptation to consumer preferences is crucial for maintaining market share and driving future growth [49][50]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.96 for Q1 2025, an increase from $0.89 in the prior year, reflecting a growth of approximately 7.9% [6][7] - Total comparable funeral revenue increased by over $23 million, or about 4%, compared to the prior year quarter [8] - Funeral gross profit increased by about $21 million, with the gross profit percentage rising by 240 basis points to over 24% [10] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Comparable core funeral revenue increased by $18 million, or about 4%, driven by a 2.5% growth in average revenue per service and a 1% increase in services performed [8] - Preneed funeral sales production decreased by $32 million, or about 10%, primarily due to the transition to a new insurance provider [11] - Comparable cemetery revenue decreased by $8 million, or about 2%, with a core revenue decline of $10 million attributed to lower recognized preneed property revenue [12][13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company anticipates flat to slightly down funeral volume compared to 2024, with average revenue per case growing at inflationary rates [15] - Preneed cemetery sales production is expected to grow in the low single-digit percentage range, resulting in cemetery revenue growth of about 1% to 2% [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is transitioning from a trust to an insurance-funded preneed model, which is expected to stabilize and grow in the latter half of 2025 [12][16] - The company confirmed its normalized earnings per share guidance range of $3.7 to $4 for 2025, representing a midpoint of 9% year-over-year growth [15] - The focus remains on managing inflationary costs while maintaining gross margin percentages in the 32% to 33% range [17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the sales pipeline, indicating a strong outlook for the remainder of the year despite external pressures [34][37] - The company is aware of macroeconomic pressures but believes that its products are viewed as essential, which may mitigate trade-down effects during economic downturns [90] - Management expects preneed funeral sales production to normalize later in 2025, with a projected $1.2 billion in production, which is 27% higher than 2019 levels [16] Other Important Information - The company generated adjusted operating cash flow of $316 million in the quarter, exceeding expectations and showing a substantial improvement over the prior year [22] - Capital investments totaled $95 million, with $67 million allocated to maintenance capital and $13 million to growth capital [23][24] - The company returned $176 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, repurchasing approximately 1.7 million shares at an average price of $79 [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you discuss the cemetery preneed sales production being down? - Management noted that large sales were worse than core production, but they expect a strong pipeline moving forward, with April showing good sales [32][34] Question: How do you view the impact of tariffs on costs? - Management indicated that they have long-term contracts that protect against immediate impacts and do not expect material changes to guidance due to tariffs [40][44] Question: What drove the increase in funeral volume in Q1? - Management attributed the increase to slight market share growth and the effects of their pre-need program, despite quarterly volatility [48][50] Question: What is the outlook for preneed funeral volume transitioning to insurance? - Management expects the transition to insurance to yield higher premiums in the future, with a target of returning to growth rates of 3% to 5% by 2026 [62][65] Question: How does the company view the impact of M&A on earnings and volumes? - Management indicated that M&A could contribute 1% to 3% to growth, depending on the timing and nature of acquisitions [92]

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]