GET DAILY SIGNALSWhy Is Carriage Services (CSV) Stock Down -6.27% Today?
Key Takeaways
- Shares of Carriage Services (CSV) were down roughly 6.27% in Thursday's session, extending the sharp post-earnings selloff that began a day earlier.
- Primary catalyst: a disappointing third-quarter 2026 report that missed on both revenue and adjusted earnings, combined with a cut to full-year guidance.
- Secondary drivers: weakness in cemetery preneed sales, a discrete trust-tax charge, and a series of analyst price-target reductions.
- Broader context: the decline is a continuation of the prior session's 21%+ plunge, leaving the stock near its 52-week low and well below its April 2026 high.
- What traders are watching next: execution on the company's cemetery sales recovery plan and progress on its acquisition pipeline.
- For deeper context on analyst expectations, valuation, and outlook, explore Price Targets, Earnings, and Forecast pages for CSV.
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Opening Summary
Carriage Services, Inc. (CSV), a Houston-based provider of funeral and cemetery services and related merchandise across the United States, extended its decline on Thursday, with shares trading around $26.44, down approximately 6.27% from the prior session's close of $28.21. The move marks a second consecutive day of heavy losses for the small-cap name and follows a disappointing third-quarter earnings release and guidance cut that markets are still digesting. Investors are reacting to weaker-than-expected profitability and a softening outlook that has overshadowed improving trends in the company's funeral operations.
Earnings Results and Guidance Miss
The selloff traces directly to third-quarter 2026 results reported after the close on November 4. Carriage Services (CSV) posted revenue of $100.26 million, a 2.4% year-over-year decline that fell well short of consensus estimates near $109 million. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.59, down from $0.75 a year earlier and roughly 25% below the $0.79 analysts had expected. Adjusted consolidated EBITDA fell to $27.7 million from $33.0 million, with margin compression to 27.6% from 32.1%.
Compounding the earnings-driven move, management cut its full-year guidance for the second consecutive quarter, lowering its revenue outlook to a $415 million–$420 million range (from $435 million–$445 million) and trimming adjusted EPS guidance to $2.90–$3.05 (from $3.35–$3.55). The revised forecast landed below consensus, reinforcing concerns that near-term operating challenges may persist longer than initially anticipated.
Cemetery Preneed Weakness and One-Time Charges
Beneath the headline numbers, the core pressure point was cemetery performance. Comparable cemetery revenue fell 7.8% to $32.5 million, and comparable preneed sales production declined year over year, a sharp reversal from the growth this segment had generated in the first half of 2026. Management attributed the weakness partly to lower-value California contracts while also acknowledging lapses in recruiting, training, and lead management, with cemetery comparable EBITDA margin slipping to 41.8% from 48.3%.
Separately, financial revenue was weighed down by roughly $2.5 million in trust taxes tied to the sale of certain Master Limited Partnership investments held in company trusts. While largely discrete, the charge compounded an already soft quarter and drew attention to the volatility of the company's trust-related financial income.
Analyst Reactions
The price reaction has been reinforced by a wave of analyst revisions. At least two firms lowered their price targets following the report, with Barrington cutting its target to $40 from $50 while maintaining an Outperform rating, and Roth Capital trimming its target to $42 from $46. The downward adjustments signal that, even among analysts who remain constructive on the longer-term story, near-term expectations have been reset meaningfully lower in the wake of the guidance cut.
Market Context and Trading Activity
Trading volume has been exceptionally heavy relative to the company's average daily activity. On the initial post-earnings session, more than 747,000 shares changed hands, a multiple of the stock's typical daily turnover, underscoring the intensity of institutional repositioning following the results. The move has left the stock testing multi-month lows and trading well below its 52-week high above $50 reached earlier in the year. As a small-cap name within the specialized consumer services sector, the decline has been driven primarily by company-specific fundamentals rather than broad index direction, with the stock significantly underperforming the broader market this year.
What Comes Next for CSV
Looking ahead, investors will focus on whether Carriage Services (CSV) can stabilize its cemetery preneed sales, which management has targeted to recover by early 2027. The company has pointed to a pipeline of more than $14 million in annual acquisition revenue under contract or letter of intent, along with a new $300 million credit facility that adds balance-sheet capacity, though several deal closings have slipped into December and early 2027. Key risks include continued cemetery sales execution gaps, salary and benefit cost pressure in the funeral segment, and elevated leverage. The fourth quarter will be closely watched for evidence that the improving funeral volume trend translates into more consistent consolidated profitability.
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Momentum Indicator for CSV turns negative, indicating new downward trend
CSV saw its Momentum Indicator move below the 0 level on November 05, 2026. This is an indication that the stock could be shifting in to a new downward move. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 81 similar instances where the indicator turned negative. In 60 of the 81 cases, the stock moved further down in the following days. The odds of a decline are at 74%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for CSV turned negative on October 30, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 46 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 32 of the 46 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 70%.
CSV moved below its 50-day moving average on November 05, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where CSV declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 67%.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator demonstrates that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 1 day, which means it's wise to expect a price bounce in the near future.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 1 day, which means it's wise to expect a price bounce in the near future.
The 10-day moving average for CSV crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 15, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 11 of 19 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 58%.
Following a +3.79% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where CSV advanced for three days, in 178 of 293 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 61%.
CSV may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 122 of 206 cases where CSV Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 59%.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 48 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.604) is normal, around the industry mean (8.282). P/E Ratio (9.968) is within average values for comparable stocks, (10.659). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.568) is also within normal values, averaging (4.440). Dividend Yield (0.016) settles around the average of (0.080) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (1.209) is also within normal values, averaging (1.645).
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 51 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 76 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating slightly worse than average price growth. CSV’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 77 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. CSV’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 84, placing this stock worse than average.
Industry description
Market Cap
High and low price notable news
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Fundamental Analysis Ratings
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
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General Information
a provider of funeral and cemetery services
Industry PersonnelServices
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