EX-99.1 2 exhibit991q324earningsrele.htm EX-99.1 Document
附件 99.1
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服務公司國際(Service Corporation International)
宣佈2024年第三季度財務業績
2024年10月31日星期四上午8:00中部時間舉行電話會議。
2024年10月30日,德克薩斯州休斯頓 ........ service corporation international(紐交所:SCI),北美最大的喪葬產品和服務提供商,今天報告了2024年第三季度的業績。
第三季度亮點:
2023年第三季度營業收入增長了1210萬美元
每股收益爲0.81美元,與2023年第三季度的0.80美元相比
調整後的每股收益爲0.79美元,較2023年第三季度的0.78美元有所增加
本年度季度的經營活動現金流淨額較去年同期增長16%,達到26380萬美元,而去年同期爲22780萬美元。
除特殊項目外,經營活動產生的淨現金流量與去年同期相比,今年當季增長了18%,從22780萬元增長至26900萬元
當前季度可比核心喪葬銷售平均增長了2.1%
本季度的收購支出爲12300萬美元,而2023年第三季度爲3300萬美元
公司主席兼首席執行官湯姆·瑞安對第三季度業績發表評論:
今天我們報告的每股調整後收益爲0.79美元,經營活動產生的淨現金(不包括特殊項目)爲26900萬美元。我們很高興看到,由於與我們的新首選預先保險提供商達成的新營銷協議,在本季度推出的服務協議對殯葬收入產生了積極影響。此外,我們很高興看到殯儀和墓地的毛利潤與去年第三季度基本穩定,並且營業收入略有增長,反映了我們繼續專注於管理固定成本。
我們在收購方面也非常活躍,包括主要大都會市場的優越位置。我們投資了12300萬美元,增加了10家殯儀館和2座墓地,其中包括一個綜合位置。我們很高興歡迎這些新同事加入SCI大家庭。此外,我們在房地產交易中投資了3100萬美元,用於擴大殯儀館和墓地。”
到2025年,我們的目標是實現長期增長框架8-12%的高端回報。我們堅定致力於長期增長策略,增長營業收入,利用我們無與倫比的規模,明智地投資資本以增加股東價值。沒有我們的25,000名員工及其對爲我們的客戶家庭提供卓越服務的堅定承諾,我們將無法實現這一目標。
我們第三季度的詳細情況 2024年第三季度 基本報表和未經審計的合併財務報表可在本新聞稿末尾的附錄中找到。下表總結了我們的關鍵財務業績。
(以百萬美元計,每股金額除外)截至9月30日的三個月,截至9月30日的九個月
2024202320242023
營業收入$1,014.0 $1,001.9 $3,093.4 $3,044.0 
營業利潤$212.4 $223.0 $665.5 $702.1 
歸屬於普通股股東的淨收益$117.8 $122.0 $367.3 $398.9 
攤薄每股收益$0.81 $0.80 $2.50 $2.60 
除特殊項目外的收益 (1)
$115.3 $119.1 $363.1 $390.9 
每股攤薄收益(不包括特殊項目) (1)
$0.79 $0.78 $2.47 $2.55 
攤薄加權平均股份數146.2 152.3 147.0 153.6 
經營活動產生的現金流量淨額$263.8 $227.8 $680.8 $591.5 
經營活動產生的淨現金流(不包括特殊項目) (1)
$269.0 $227.8 $709.0 $604.8 
(1)非特殊項目的收入、非特殊項目的攤薄每股收益,以及排除特殊項目的經營活動現金淨額均爲非美國通用會計準則(GAAP)之外的財務衡量指標。這些項目也被稱爲"調整後每股收益"和"調整後的經營現金流"。從歸屬於普通股股東的淨利潤、攤薄每股收益和按照美國通用會計準則確定的經營活動現金淨額到"現金流量和資本支出"和本新聞稿結尾的"非GAAP財務指標"標題下進行了調解。

2024年第三季度稀釋每股收益爲0.81美元,而2023年第三季度爲0.80美元。當年第三季度受到淨處置收益和減值損失共計350萬美元的積極影響。去年同期主要受到淨處置收益和減值損失共計250萬美元的積極影響。2024年第三季度排除特殊項目的稀釋每股收益爲0.79美元,而2023年第三季度爲0.78美元。殯儀和墓地的毛利潤均持平,而較低的股份數量和較低的稅率更有利。

1 服務公司國際


相較於偏移的企業總務費用增加,這是由於我們的股價對我們的長期激勵補償計劃產生的影響,以及略微增加的利息支出。
2024年第三季度,經營活動現金淨額增加3600萬美元,從2023年第三季度的22780萬美元增至26380萬美元。 當年受2022年支付的與法律事務相關的費用影響爲520萬美元。2024年第三季度,除特殊項目外,經營活動現金淨額增加4120萬美元,從2023年第三季度的22780萬美元增至269.0萬美元。預繳工作資本有利的變化得到更多預繳現金收入的支持,這大大抵消了現金利息支付增加和營業額下降。
2024年展望
Our current outlook for the fourth quarter of 2024 for adjusted earnings per share is $1.00 to $1.10, representing expected growth of approximately 8-18% compared to $0.93 of adjusted earnings per share in the fourth quarter of 2023. This fourth quarter guidance range yields an annual adjusted earnings per share range of $3.47 to $3.57, compared to the previous expectation of the lower half of a prior $3.50 to $3.80 range.
In conjunction with our expectation of continued strength in our operating cash flow and coupled with the strong fourth quarter growth anticipated in adjusted earnings per share stated above, we are raising the midpoint of our full year 2024 adjusted operating cash flow guidance from $93000萬 to $95000萬 with a revised guidance range of $94000萬 to $96000萬 (previous range of $90000萬 to $96000萬).
Our full year 2024 outlook for maintenance capital expenditures remains unchanged at approximately $32500萬. The forecast for cash taxes includes the impact of a change in a tax accounting method related to our cemetery segment, which will defer cash taxes into future years. Our outlook for net cash provided by operating activities also excludes special items relating to the payments of certain estimated legal charges of $6460萬 recognized in the fourth quarter of 2022.
(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)Q4 2024 Outlook
2024 Outlook
Diluted earnings per share excluding special items (1)
$1.00 - $1.10$3.47 - $3.57
Net cash provided by operating activities excluding special items and cash taxes (1)
$240 - $255$965 - $980
Cash taxes $5 - $10$20 - $25
Net cash provided by operating activities excluding special items (1)
$230 - $250$940 - $960
Capital improvements at existing field locations~ $35$125
Development of cemetery property~ $40$165
Digital investments and corporate~ $5$35
Total maintenance, cemetery development, and other capital expenditures (Maintenance capital expenditures)~ $80$325
(1)Diluted earnings per share excluding special items and net cash provided by operating activities excluding special items are non-GAAP financial measures. We normally reconcile these non-GAAP financial measures from diluted earnings per share and net cash provided by operating activities; however, diluted earnings per share and net cash provided by operating activities calculated in accordance with GAAP are not currently accessible on a forward-looking basis. Our outlook for 2024 excludes the following because this information is not currently available for 2024: Expenses net of insurance recoveries related to weather events and hurricanes, gains or losses associated with asset divestitures, gains or losses associated with the early extinguishment of debt, potential tax reserve adjustments and IRS payments and/or refunds, acquisition and integration costs, system implementation and transition costs, and potential costs or cash outflows associated with estimated litigation charges or legal settlements or the recognition of receivables for insurance recoveries associated with litigation, or deferred tax payments. The foregoing items could materially impact our forward-looking diluted earnings per share and/or our net cash provided by operating activities calculated in accordance with GAAP.
CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST
We will host a conference call on Thursday, October 31, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time. A question and answer session will follow a brief presentation made by management. The conference call dial-in numbers are (888) 317-6003 (US) or (412) 317-6061 (International) with the passcode of 8508625. The conference call will also be broadcast live via the Internet and can be accessed through our website at www.sci-corp.com. A replay of the conference call will be available through November 7, 2024 and can be accessed at (877) 344-7529 (US) or (412) 317-0088 (International) with the passcode of 2356545. Additionally, a replay of the conference call will be available on our website for approximately three months.

2 Service Corporation International


ABOUT SERVICE CORPORATION INTERNATIONAL
Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is North America's leading provider of funeral, cemetery and cremation services, as well as final-arrangement planning in advance, serving more than 600,000 families each year. Our diversified portfolio of brands provides families and individuals a full range of choices to meet their needs, from simple cremations to full life celebrations and personalized remembrances. Our Dignity Memorial® brand is the name families turn to for professionalism, compassion, and attention to detail that is second to none. At September 30, 2024, we owned and operated 1,495 funeral service locations and 494 cemeteries (of which 307 are combination locations) in 44 states, eight Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For more information about Service Corporation International, please visit our website at www.sci-corp.com. For more information about Dignity Memorial®, please visit www.dignitymemorial.com.
For additional information contact: InvestorRelations@sci-us.com
Investors:
Allie O'Connor - Assistant Vice President / Investor Relations
(713) 525-9088
Trey Bocage - Director / Investor Relations(713) 525-3454
Media:
Jay Andrew - Assistant Vice President / Corporate Communications
(713) 525-3468

3 Service Corporation International


CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS  
The statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made in reliance on the “safe harbor” protections provided under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be accompanied by words such as “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “predict,” or other similar words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. The absence of these words, however, does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These statements are based on assumptions that we believe are reasonable; however, many important factors could cause our actual results in the future to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein and in any other documents or oral presentations made by us, or on our behalf. Important factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

Our affiliated trust funds own investments in securities, which are affected by market conditions that are beyond our control.
We may be required to replenish our affiliated funeral and cemetery trust funds to meet minimum funding requirements, which would have a negative effect on our earnings and cash flow.
Our ability to execute our strategic plan depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control.
We may be adversely affected by the effects of inflation.
Our results may be adversely affected by significant weather events, natural disasters, catastrophic events, or public health crises.
Our credit agreements contain covenants that may prevent us from engaging in certain transactions.
If we lost the ability to use surety bonding to support our preneed activities, we may be required to make material cash payments to fund certain trust funds.
The financial condition of third-party life insurance companies that fund our preneed contracts may impact our future revenue.
Unfavorable publicity could affect our reputation and business.
Our failure to attract and retain qualified sales personnel could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We use a combination of insurance, self-insurance, and large deductibles in managing our exposure to certain inherent risks; therefore, we could be exposed to unexpected costs that could negatively affect our financial performance.
Declines in overall economic conditions beyond our control could reduce future potential earnings and cash flows and could result in future impairments to goodwill and/or other intangible assets.
Any failure to maintain the security of the information relating to our customers, their loved ones, our associates, and our vendors could damage our reputation, could cause us to incur substantial additional costs and to become subject to litigation, and could adversely affect our operating results, financial condition, or cash flow.
Our Canadian business exposes us to operational, economic, and currency risks.
Our level of indebtedness could adversely affect our cash flows, our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry, and may prevent us from fulfilling our obligations under our indebtedness.
A failure of a key information technology system or process could disrupt and adversely affect our business.
The funeral and cemetery industry is competitive.
If the number of deaths in our markets declines, our cash flows and revenue may decrease. Changes in the number of deaths are not predictable from market to market or over the short term.
If we are not able to respond effectively to changing consumer preferences, our market share, revenue, and/or profitability could decrease.
The continuing upward trend in life expectancy and the number of cremations performed in North America could result in lower revenue, operating profit, and cash flows.
Our funeral and cemetery businesses are high fixed-cost businesses.
Risks associated with our supply chain could materially adversely affect our financial performance.
Regulation and compliance could have a material adverse impact on our financial results.
Unfavorable results of litigation could have a material adverse impact on our financial statements.
Cemetery burial practice claims could have a material adverse impact on our financial results.
The application of unclaimed property laws by certain states to our preneed funeral and cemetery backlog could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, cash flows, and financial results.
Changes in taxation, or the interpretation of tax laws or regulations, as well as the inherent difficulty in quantifying potential tax effects of business decisions could have a material adverse effect on the results of our operations, financial condition, or cash flows.
For further information on these and other risks and uncertainties, see our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Copies of this document as well as other SEC filings can be obtained from our website at www.sci-corp.com. We assume no obligation and make no undertaking to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by us whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

4 Service Corporation International


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SERVICE CORPORATION INTERNATIONAL
APPENDIX: RESULTS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2024
Consolidated Statement of Operations (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30,September 30,
2024202320242023
Revenue$1,013,958 $1,001,859 $3,093,356 $3,043,982 
Cost of revenue(761,319)(748,176)(2,308,589)(2,239,737)
Gross profit252,639 253,683 784,767 804,245 
Corporate general and administrative expenses(43,732)(33,213)(124,055)(112,294)
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net3,515 2,542 4,755 10,187 
Operating income212,422 223,012 665,467 702,138 
Interest expense(65,804)(61,512)(194,540)(174,904)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt(25)— (25)(1,114)
Other income, net2,815 128 7,002 2,647 
Income before income taxes149,408 161,628 477,904 528,767 
Provision for income taxes(31,547)(39,585)(110,549)(129,543)
Net income117,861 122,043 367,355 399,224 
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests(34)(72)(61)(302)
Net income attributable to common stockholders$117,827 $121,971 $367,294 $398,922 
Basic earnings per share:
Net income attributable to common stockholders$0.81 $0.81 $2.53 $2.63 
Basic weighted average number of shares144,706 150,630 145,421 151,654 
Diluted earnings per share:
Net income attributable to common stockholders$0.81 $0.80 $2.50 $2.60 
Diluted weighted average number of shares146,223 152,289 146,978 153,554 

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Consolidated Balance Sheet (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands, except share amounts)
 September 30, 2024December 31, 2023
 
ASSETS
Current assets:  
Cash and cash equivalents$185,420 $221,557 
Receivables, net80,955 97,939 
Inventories34,571 33,597 
Income tax receivable52,487 122,183 
Other35,661 23,010 
Total current assets389,094 498,286 
Preneed receivables, net and trust investments6,766,755 6,191,912 
Cemetery property2,113,801 2,020,846 
Property and equipment, net2,564,241 2,480,099 
Goodwill2,084,790 1,977,186 
Deferred charges and other assets, net1,324,768 1,247,830 
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments2,162,902 1,939,241 
Total assets$17,406,351 $16,355,400 
LIABILITIES & EQUITY
Current liabilities:  
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities$658,837 $685,759 
Current maturities of long-term debt84,349 63,341 
Total current liabilities743,186 749,100 
Long-term debt4,743,679 4,649,155 
Deferred revenue, net1,750,755 1,703,509 
Deferred tax liability655,486 638,106 
Other liabilities506,388 464,935 
Deferred receipts held in trust5,225,878 4,670,884 
Care trusts’ corpus2,153,178 1,938,238 
Equity:
Common stock, $1 per share par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized, 149,741,975 and 148,297,042 shares issued, respectively, and 144,979,108 and 146,323,340 shares outstanding, respectively
144,979 146,323 
Capital in excess of par value972,511 937,596 
Retained earnings492,294 432,454 
Accumulated other comprehensive income17,391 24,891 
Total common stockholders’ equity1,627,175 1,541,264 
Noncontrolling interests626 209 
Total equity1,627,801 1,541,473 
Total liabilities and equity$17,406,351 $16,355,400 

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Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands)Nine months ended September 30,
 20242023
Cash flows from operating activities:  
Net income$367,355 $399,224 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Loss on early extinguishment of debt25 1,114 
Depreciation and amortization153,932 141,228 
Amortization of intangibles12,759 14,158 
Amortization of cemetery property70,431 71,892 
Amortization of loan costs5,365 5,133 
Provision for expected credit losses9,693 6,997 
Provision for deferred income taxes15,243 166,786 
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net(4,755)(10,187)
Share-based compensation12,042 11,786 
Change in assets and liabilities, net of effects from acquisitions and divestitures:
Decrease in receivables11,366 11,781 
Decrease (increase) in other assets12,464 (161,687)
Increase (decrease) in payables and other liabilities20,768 (21,961)
Effect of preneed sales production and maturities:
Increase in preneed receivables, net and trust investments(139,876)(162,087)
Increase in deferred revenue, net83,331 105,923 
Increase in deferred receipts held in trust50,652 11,358 
Net cash provided by operating activities680,795 591,458 
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures(276,837)(267,752)
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired(161,865)(72,535)
Real estate acquisitions(53,329)(41,084)
Proceeds from divestitures and sales of property and equipment21,632 22,713 
Payments for Company-owned life insurance policies(3,009)(8,050)
Proceeds from Company-owned life insurance policies and other2,673 10,119 
Other investing activities(13,864)— 
Net cash used in investing activities(484,599)(356,589)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt1,336,137 737,433 
Debt issuance costs(15,246)(7,471)
Scheduled payments of debt(18,421)(16,402)
Early payments and extinguishment of debt(1,210,024)(490,973)
Principal payments on finance leases(27,524)(25,678)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options42,898 16,106 
Purchase of Company common stock(197,511)(340,279)
Payments of dividends(130,811)(125,543)
Bank overdrafts and other(10,253)(9,362)
Net cash used in financing activities(230,755)(262,169)
Effect of foreign currency(1,566)(298)
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash(36,125)(27,598)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period224,761 204,524 
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period$188,636 $176,926 

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Consolidated Segment Results
(See definitions of revenue line items later in this appendix.)
(Dollars in millions, except funeral services performed and average revenue per service)Three months ended September 30,Nine months ended September 30,
2024202320242023
Consolidated funeral:
Atneed revenue$289.1 $283.0 $887.8 $884.8 
Matured preneed revenue173.8 172.3 542.5 533.7 
Core revenue462.9 455.3 1,430.3 1,418.5 
Non-funeral home revenue23.2 21.9 69.8 63.7 
Non-funeral home preneed sales revenue26.9 32.0 85.1 109.1 
Core general agency and other revenue53.0 45.6 151.3 138.6 
Total revenue$566.0 $554.8 $1,736.5 $1,729.9 
Gross profit$107.9 $109.7 $340.2 $374.8 
Gross profit percentage19.1 %19.8 %19.6 %21.7 %
Funeral services performed85,743 85,139 266,140 268,414 
Average revenue per service$5,669 $5,605 $5,637 $5,522 
(Dollars in millions)Three months ended September 30,Nine months ended September 30,
2024202320242023
Consolidated cemetery:
Atneed property revenue$34.7 $35.5 $105.0 $105.9 
Atneed merchandise and service revenue72.3 74.7 219.4 222.5 
Total atneed revenue107.0 110.2 324.4 328.4 
Recognized preneed property revenue203.4 214.6 628.2 626.0 
Recognized preneed merchandise and service revenue103.6 93.1 301.8 269.1 
Total recognized preneed revenue307.0 307.7 930.0 895.1 
Core revenue414.0 417.9 1,254.4 1,223.5 
Other cemetery revenue34.0 29.2 102.5 90.6 
Total revenue$448.0 $447.1 $1,356.9 $1,314.1 
Gross profit$144.8 $143.9 $444.6 $429.5 
Gross profit percentage32.3 %32.2 %32.8 %32.7 %


8 Service Corporation International


Comparable Funeral Results
The table below details comparable funeral results of operations (“same store”) for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023. We consider comparable funeral operations to be those businesses owned for the entire period beginning January 1, 2023 and ending September 30, 2024.
(Dollars in millions, except average revenue per service and average revenue per contract sold)Three months ended September 30,
20242023Var%
Comparable funeral revenue:
Atneed revenue (1)
$283.3 $280.2 $3.1 1.1 %
Matured preneed revenue (2)
172.1 170.8 1.3 0.8 %
Core revenue (3)
455.4 451.0 4.4 1.0 %
Non-funeral home revenue (4)
22.3 21.8 0.5 2.3 %
Non-funeral home preneed sales revenue (5)
26.5 32.0 (5.5)(17.2)%
Core general agency and other revenue (6)
52.7 45.1 7.6 16.9 %
Total comparable revenue$556.9 $549.9 $7.0 1.3 %
Comparable gross profit$107.4 $108.9 $(1.5)(1.4)%
Comparable gross profit percentage19.3 %19.8 %(0.5)%
Comparable funeral services performed:
Atneed44,978 45,761 (783)(1.7)%
Matured preneed25,163 25,189 (26)(0.1)%
Total core70,141 70,950 (809)(1.1)%
Non-funeral home13,663 13,520 143 1.1 %
Total comparable funeral services performed83,804 84,470 (666)(0.8)%
Comparable core cremation rate
56.8 %56.5 %0.3 %
Total comparable cremation rate (7)
63.7 %63.3 %0.4 %
Comparable funeral average revenue per service:
Atneed $6,299 $6,123 $176 2.9 %
Matured preneed 6,839 6,781 58 0.9 %
Total core6,493 6,357 136 2.1 %
Non-funeral home 1,632 1,612 20 1.2 %
Total comparable average revenue per service$5,700 $5,597 $103 1.8 %
Comparable funeral preneed sales production:
Total preneed sales$292.3 $314.5 $(22.2)(7.1)%
Core contracts sold34,573 36,862 (2,289)(6.2)%
Non-funeral home contracts sold22,991 25,294 (2,303)(9.1)%
Core average revenue per contract sold$6,435 $6,417 $18 0.3 %
Non-funeral home average revenue per contract sold$3,037 $3,081 $(44)(1.4)%
(1)Atneed revenue represents merchandise and services sold and delivered or performed once death has occurred.
(2)Matured preneed revenue represents merchandise and services sold on a preneed contract through our core funeral homes, which have been delivered or performed as well as the related merchandise and service trust fund income and other insurance benefits.
(3)Core revenue represents the sum of merchandise and services sold on an atneed contract or preneed contract, which were delivered or performed once death has occurred through our core funeral homes.
(4)Non-funeral home revenue represents services sold on a preneed or atneed contract through one of our non-funeral home sales channels (e.g. SCI Direct) and performed once death has occurred.
(5)Non-funeral home preneed sales revenue represents travel protection, net and merchandise sold on a preneed contract that is delivered before death has occurred and general agency revenue from our non-funeral home sales channel.
(6)Core general agency and other revenue primarily comprises core general agency revenue, which is commissions we receive from third-party insurance companies for life insurance policies sold to preneed customers for the purpose of funding preneed arrangements and core travel protection preneed sales, net.
(7)Total comparable cremation rate includes the impact of cremation services through our non-funeral sales channel (e.g. SCI Direct).

9 Service Corporation International


Total comparable funeral revenue increased by $7.0 million, or 1.3%, as an increase of $4.4 million in core funeral revenue and a $7.6 million increase in core general agency and other revenue was offset by a $5.5 million decrease in non-funeral home preneed sales revenue.
Core funeral revenue increased by $4.4 million, or 1.0%, primarily due to a favorable 2.1% increase in core average revenue per service partially offset by a 1.1% decrease in core funeral services performed. The core cremation rate increased 30 basis points to 56.8%.
Non-funeral home preneed sales revenue decreased by $5.5 million, or 17.2%, primarily due to a decline of non-funeral home preneed sales production decrease of $8.1 million, or 10.4%, impacted by our transition from trust to insurance-funded contracts.
Core general agency and other revenue grew $7.6 million, primarily due to growth in general agency revenue from higher commission rates, primarily as a result of our new preneed insurance marketing agreement.
Comparable funeral gross profit decreased by $1.5 million to $107.4 million and the gross profit percentage decreased 50 basis points from 19.8% to 19.3%. The stability in gross profit, in light of modest revenue growth, reflects our continued focus on managing our fixed cost structure.
Comparable preneed funeral sales production decreased by $22.2 million, or 7.1%, in the third quarter of 2024 compared to 2023. Core preneed sales production decreased by $14.1 million, or 6.0%, primarily due to the transition to our new preneed insurance provider. Non-funeral home preneed sales production decreased $8.1 million, or 10.4%, primarily due to our transition from trust to insurance-funded contracts.
Comparable Cemetery Results
The table below details comparable cemetery results of operations (“same store”) for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023. We consider comparable cemetery operations to be those businesses owned for the entire period beginning January 1, 2023 and ending September 30, 2024.
(Dollars in millions)Three months ended September 30,
20242023Var%
Comparable cemetery revenue:
Atneed property revenue$34.5 $35.5 $(1.0)(2.8)%
Atneed merchandise and service revenue72.1 74.6 (2.5)(3.4)%
Total atneed revenue (1)
106.6 110.1 (3.5)(3.2)%
Recognized preneed property revenue202.8 214.4 (11.6)(5.4)%
Recognized preneed merchandise and service revenue103.3 93.0 10.3 11.1 %
Total recognized preneed revenue (2)
306.1 307.4 (1.3)(0.4)%
   Core revenue (3)
412.7 417.5 (4.8)(1.1)%
Other revenue (4)
33.9 29.1 4.8 16.5 %
Total comparable revenue$446.6 $446.6 $— — %
Comparable gross profit$144.9 $144.3 $0.6 0.4 %
Comparable gross profit percentage32.4 %32.3 %0.1 %
Comparable cemetery preneed and atneed sales production:
Property$232.2 $244.3 $(12.1)(5.0)%
Merchandise and services186.8 185.4 1.4 0.8 %
Discounts and other— (4.8)4.8 100.0 %
Preneed and atneed sales production$419.0 $424.9 $(5.9)(1.4)%
Preneed sales production
$314.1 $322.0 $(7.9)(2.5)%
 Recognition rate (5)
98.5 %98.3 %
(1)Atneed revenue represents property, merchandise, and services sold and delivered or performed once death has occurred.
(2)Recognized preneed revenue represents property, merchandise, and services sold on a preneed contract, which were delivered or performed as well as the related merchandise and service trust fund income.
(3)Core revenue represents the sum of property, merchandise, and services that have been delivered or performed as well as the related merchandise and service trust fund income.
(4)Other revenue is primarily related to endowment care trust fund income, royalty income, and interest and finance charges earned from customer receivables on preneed installment contracts.
(5)Represents the ratio of current period core revenue stated as a percentage of current period preneed and atneed sales production.

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Total comparable cemetery revenue in the third quarter of 2024 was flat to prior year at $446.6 million as a decrease in core revenue of $4.8 million was offset by an increase in other revenue of $4.8 million.
Core revenue was lower by $4.8 million primarily as a result of a $3.5 million decline in atneed revenue combined with a $1.3 million decrease in total recognized preneed revenue. Growth in recognized preneed merchandise and service revenue of $10.3 million from higher quality sales averages maturing out of the backlog was offset by a decline of $11.6 million in recognized preneed property revenue.
Other revenue was higher by $4.8 million, or 16.5%, compared to the prior year quarter primarily from an increase in endowment care trust fund income related to the expansion of our total return investment strategy in certain states.
Comparable cemetery gross profit increased slightly by $0.6 million to $144.9 million, and the gross profit percentage increased from 32.3% to 32.4%. This growth in gross profit on relatively flat revenue reflects our continued focus on managing our fixed cost structure.
Comparable preneed cemetery sales production decreased $7.9 million, or 2.5%, primarily due to a decline in large sales, while our core production was relatively flat.
Other Financial Results  
Corporate general and administrative expenses were $43.7 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2023 of $33.2 million. The current year third quarter was pressured by long-term incentive compensation plan expenses that were impacted by the growth in our stock price. Conversely, during the prior year third quarter we saw a decline in our stock price benefiting our long-term incentive compensation plan expenses.
Interest expense increased $4.3 million to $65.8 million in the third quarter of 2024 primarily due to higher average balances quarter over quarter on our floating rate debt.
The GAAP effective income tax rate for the third quarter of 2024 was 21.1%, down from 24.5% in the prior year quarter. Our adjusted effective tax rate was 20.9% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to 25.1% in the prior year quarter. The lower effective tax rate in the current period was primarily due to more excess tax benefits recognized on the settlement of employee share-based awards.
Cash Flow and Capital Spending
(Dollars in millions)Three months ended September 30,Nine months ended September 30,
2024202320242023
Net cash provided by operating activities$263.8 $227.8 $680.8 $591.5 
Payments for certain legal matters
5.2 — 28.2 13.3 
Net cash provided by operating activities excluding special items$269.0 $227.8 $709.0 $604.8 
Cash taxes included in net cash provided by operating activities$4.0 $3.8 $15.8 $79.7 
Net cash provided by operating activities excluding special items grew $41.2 million to $269.0 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $227.8 million in the third quarter of 2023. Favorable working capital of approximately $54 million, including higher cash receipts from installment payments on preneed cemetery and funeral contracts and other working capital changes, more than offset an increase in cash interest payments and $11 million of lower operating income.
(Dollars in millions)Three months ended September 30,Nine months ended September 30,
2024202320242023
Capital improvements at existing field locations$37.0 $28.1 $91.3 $82.7 
Development of cemetery property
43.8 40.8 122.4 111.8 
Digital investments and corporate
7.6 12.9 32.0 47.5 
Total maintenance, cemetery development, and other capital expenditures (Maintenance capital expenditures)$88.4 $81.8 $245.7 $242.0 
Growth capital expenditures/construction of new funeral service locations12.6 8.9 31.1 25.8 
Total capital expenditures$101.0 $90.7 $276.8 $267.8 
Total capital expenditures increased in the current quarter by $10.3 million, primarily due to higher capital improvements at existing field locations and spend on development of cemetery property, slightly offset by expected lower spend on digital investments and corporate.

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Trust Fund Returns
Total trust fund returns include realized and unrealized gains and losses and dividends and are shown gross without netting of certain fees. A summary of our consolidated trust fund returns as of September 30, 2024 is set forth below:
Three MonthsNine Months
Preneed funeral5.8%12.7%
Preneed cemetery6.1%13.2%
Cemetery perpetual care6.1%12.4%
Combined trust funds6.0%12.8%
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Earnings excluding special items and diluted earnings per share excluding special items shown above are non-GAAP financial measures. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide a consistent basis for comparison between quarters and years, and better reflect the performance of our core operations, as they are not influenced by certain income or expense items not affecting operations. We also believe these measures help facilitate comparisons to our competitors' operating results.
Set forth below is a reconciliation of our reported net income attributable to common stockholders to earnings excluding special items and our GAAP diluted earnings per share to diluted earnings per share excluding special items. We do not intend for this information to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for other measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.
(Dollars in millions, except diluted EPS)Three months ended September 30,
20242023
Net
Income
Diluted
EPS
Net
Income
Diluted
EPS
Net income attributable to common stockholders, as reported$117.8 $0.81 $122.0 $0.80 
Pre-tax reconciling items:
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net(3.5)(0.02)(2.5)(0.02)
Tax effect from significant items1.1 — 0.5 0.01 
Change in uncertain tax reserves and other
(0.1)— (0.9)(0.01)
Earnings excluding special items and diluted earnings per share excluding special items$115.3 $0.79 $119.1 $0.78 
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 146.2 152.3 
(Dollars in millions, except diluted EPS)Nine months ended September 30,
20242023
Net
Income
Diluted
EPS
Net
Income
Diluted
EPS
Net income attributable to common stockholders, as reported$367.3 $2.50 $398.9 $2.60 
Pre-tax reconciling items:
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net
(4.8)(0.03)(10.2)(0.07)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt
— — 1.1 0.01 
Tax effect from significant items1.6 — 2.5 0.02 
Change in uncertain tax reserves and other
(1.0)— (1.4)(0.01)
Earnings excluding special items and diluted earnings per share excluding special items$363.1 $2.47 $390.9 $2.55 
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 147.0 153.6 

12 Service Corporation International