Carriage Services, Inc. (CSV) AI Stock Analysis

NYSE: CSVAI research summary: business, growth, valuation, analysts, bull and bear case.

CSV AI stock analysis summary

AI Research

Carriage Services, Inc. (CSV) provides funeral and cemetery merchandise and services across the United States. In FY2025, the company grew revenue 3.3% to $417.4M and generated net income of $51.5M, while carrying total debt of $549.3M as of June 30, 2026. The stock closed at $36.20 on October 16, 2026, trading at a trailing price-to-earnings multiple of 12.9x.

Market cap
$574.9M
Revenue (TTM)
$417.3M
P/E
12.9x
fwd 8.6x
1Y return
-17.1%
S&P 500 16.8%
Avg. target
$51.00
40.9% vs last close

Bull case

  • Carriage Services achieved a trailing operating margin of 23.4%, well above the 8.8% median of its US-listed Consumer Cyclical peers.
  • The stock trades at a forward P/E of 8.6x and a PEG ratio of 0.57, both below broader industry valuation levels.
  • Analysts project EPS to grow 8.8% in the next fiscal year to $3.64 on revenue of $455.0M.

Bear case

  • The balance sheet carries $549.3M in total debt against just $2.5M in cash and short-term investments as of June 30, 2026.
  • Free cash flow turned negative at -$19.0M in FY2025 due to elevated capital expenditures of $79.7M.
  • The company has underperformed the broader market, returning -17.1% over the past 1 year compared to a 16.8% gain for the S&P 500.

What Carriage Services does

Carriage Services, Inc. specializes in funeral and cemetery services and merchandise across the United States. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, it operates through Funeral Home Operations and Cemetery Operations. Funeral Home Operations provides visitation facilities, consultation, remains preparation, transportation, cremation and burial services, and related merchandise like caskets and urns. Cemetery Operations provides interment rights for grave sites, lawn crypts, mausoleums, and niches, along with outer burial containers, memorial markers, monuments, and floral placements. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated 170 funeral homes in 26 states and 31 cemeteries in 11 states.

Growth and profitability

Carriage Services expanded revenue at a 5-year CAGR of 4.8% from FY2020 to FY2025. Annual revenue grew from $375.9M in FY2021 to $417.4M in FY2025, despite a 1.5% decline in FY2022. Net income increased from $33.2M in FY2021 to $51.5M in FY2025, with net margin reaching 12.3% and diluted EPS hitting $3.20. Over that span, gross margin moved from 34.5% to 35.1%, while operating margin ended at 23.5%. For the trailing twelve months ending June 30, 2026, revenue stood at $417.3M with an operating margin of 23.4%. In the latest quarter ended June 30, 2026, quarterly revenue grew 0.8% year-over-year while quarterly earnings rose 4.1%.

CSV income statement →

Balance sheet and cash flow

As of June 30, 2026, Carriage Services held $2.5M in cash and short-term investments against $549.3M in total debt, resulting in net debt of $546.7M. Shareholders' equity was $279.4M, producing a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 1.46 out of $1.37B in total assets. In FY2025, operating cash flow was $60.7M, but free cash flow was -$19.0M after capital expenditures of $79.7M. The company also paid $7.0M in dividends and raised $1.7M through share issuance in FY2025.

CSV balance sheet →

Valuation and performance

Carriage Services trades at a trailing P/E of 12.9x and a forward P/E of 8.6x, compared to the medians of its US-listed Consumer Cyclical peers of 18.0x and 14.1x, respectively. Its enterprise value of $1.05B reflects an EV-to-EBITDA multiple of 8.9x, lower than the peer median of 11.1x, though its price-to-sales multiple of 1.4x exceeds the peer median of 0.7x. Over the past year, the stock fell 17.1% while the S&P 500 (SPY) gained 16.8%. Over 5 years, the stock returned -12.5% versus an 83.0% gain for SPY.

CSV key metrics →

CSV dividend

Carriage Services pays a forward annual dividend of $0.45 per share, representing a 1.24% dividend yield with a payout ratio of 14.3%. The company distributes dividends quarterly and has paid dividends for 16 consecutive years, delivering a 5-year annualized dividend growth rate of 5.9%. Its ex-dividend date is November 2, 2026.

CSV dividend history →

What analysts expect

Wall Street sentiment includes 3 Strong Buy and 2 Buy ratings, with 0 Hold, Sell, or Strong Sell recommendations. The mean price target is $51.00, representing a 40.9% premium over the October 16, 2026 closing price of $36.20. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, analysts estimate EPS of $3.34 and revenue of $433.2M. For the following fiscal year, 5 analysts project revenue of $455.0M and EPS of $3.64. Carriage Services has beaten EPS estimates in 1 of the last 4 quarters, with next earnings scheduled for November 4, 2026.

CSV forecast and price target →

Key risks and what to watch

  • A debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97 and net debt of $546.7M leave limited financial flexibility relative to cash of $2.5M.
  • Revenue growth slowed to 0.8% year-over-year in the quarter ended June 30, 2026.
  • Carriage Services has exceeded consensus earnings expectations in only 1 of the last 4 quarters.

AI-generated research summary. Written with AI from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 and checked so every figure matches that data. For information only, not investment advice. Disclaimer

About this CSV AI stock analysis

This page is an AI-written research summary of Carriage Services, Inc. (CSV). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

Related: CSV income statement, CSV balance sheet, CSV key metrics, CSV analyst forecast, CSV chart. See the CSV stock overview for the latest quote and news.

CSV AI stock analysis FAQ

What dividend does Carriage Services pay?

Carriage Services pays an annual forward dividend of $0.45 per share, yielding 1.24% on a quarterly schedule. The payout ratio stands at 14.3%, and the company has maintained consecutive dividend payments for 16 years.

What are Carriage Services' revenue and earnings projections?

For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, analysts project revenue of $433.2M and EPS of $3.34. For the subsequent fiscal year, 5 analysts project revenue to reach $455.0M with EPS of $3.64, representing 8.8% earnings growth.

How much debt does Carriage Services carry?

As of June 30, 2026, Carriage Services held $549.3M in total debt and $2.5M in cash and short-term investments, resulting in net debt of $546.7M. This corresponds to a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97.

When does Carriage Services report earnings next?

Carriage Services is scheduled to report its next earnings on November 4, 2026.

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