CSV
Consumer CyclicalCarriage Services, Inc. · Personal Products & Services · $690M
What is Carriage Services, Inc.?
Carriage Services, Inc. is a Houston-based provider of funeral and cemetery services operating across the United States. The company serves families through a network of funeral homes and cemeteries spanning dozens of states.
Carriage Services operates through two segments: Funeral Home Operations and Cemetery Operations. The funeral side provides consultation, visitation facilities, transportation, and the sale of burial and cremation merchandise such as caskets and urns. The cemetery side sells interment rights — grave sites, mausoleum spaces, and niches — along with related merchandise and installation services. Revenue is generated through both at-need purchases and pre-need contracts, giving the business a degree of forward visibility.
Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Carriage Services has built a regional presence in the death-care industry over more than three decades.
- Funeral home consultation and memorial services
- Burial and cremation merchandise, including caskets and urns
- Cemetery interment rights and mausoleum spaces
- Pre-need funeral and cemetery planning contracts
- Memorial markers, monuments, and floral placement services
Is CSV a Good Stock to Buy?
UQS Score rates CSV as Below Average overall, reflecting meaningful headwinds across several key pillars.
The Valuation pillar stands out as Attractive, suggesting the market may already be pricing in the company's challenges — which can be relevant context for value-oriented investors. The Quality and Moat pillars both register as Neutral, indicating the business maintains baseline operational stability and some degree of local market positioning in the death-care sector.
Growth and Risk are both rated Weak, pointing to limited near-term expansion prospects and elevated financial or operational vulnerabilities that warrant careful attention.
See the exact pillar breakdown and full financial metrics by signing up for a UQS Pro account. Sign up free →
Past performance does not guarantee future results. UQS Score is based on fundamental data and is not a buy/sell recommendation.
Does CSV pay dividends?
Yes — Carriage Services, Inc. pays a dividend.
Carriage Services pays a regular dividend, which is relatively uncommon among small-cap consumer cyclical companies. For a business tied to a stable, demand-driven industry, returning cash to shareholders reflects a degree of financial commitment. Investors focused on income should review the current yield and payout sustainability in the context of the company's Weak Risk pillar before relying on dividend continuity.
When does CSV report earnings?
Carriage Services reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, consistent with standard practice for US-listed equities.
The company's Growth pillar is rated Weak, suggesting recent results have not demonstrated meaningful top- or bottom-line expansion relative to expectations. Operational performance across both the funeral and cemetery segments has faced pressure from shifting cremation trends and cost dynamics.
For the most recent quarter's results and guidance, visit Carriage Services' investor relations page directly.
CSV Price History
+34.3% over 5Y
Monthly close, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment.
What if I invested in Carriage Services, Inc.?
Based on Carriage Services, Inc.'s historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.
CSV Long-term Outlook
The combination of a Weak Growth pillar and a Weak Risk pillar suggests a cautious near-term fundamental outlook for CSV. The death-care industry offers inherent demand stability, but Carriage Services faces headwinds from rising cremation adoption — which typically carries lower revenue per service — and the capital intensity of maintaining a broad network of funeral homes and cemeteries. The Attractive Valuation pillar indicates the stock may reflect these challenges, though a re-rating would likely require demonstrated improvement in growth or risk metrics.
Growth drivers
- Aging US population providing a long-term structural demand tailwind
- Pre-need contract backlog offering forward revenue visibility
- Potential for selective acquisitions to expand the funeral home network
Key risks
- Continued shift toward lower-revenue cremation services
- High debt load relative to the company's scale, reflected in the Weak Risk pillar
- Limited pricing power in locally competitive funeral and cemetery markets
CSV vs Peers
Carriage Services operates in a niche segment of consumer services, and its UQS profile can be viewed alongside other small- to mid-cap service companies.
Mister Car Wash operates a high-volume, subscription-driven car wash model — a consumer services business with very different unit economics and growth dynamics than death-care.
Boyd Group provides collision repair services in North America, competing for capital in the consumer services space with a consolidation-driven acquisition strategy.
Smart Share Global operates a shared power bank rental network in China, representing a technology-enabled consumer services model with a very different geographic and operational profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Carriage Services do?
Carriage Services provides funeral and cemetery services across the United States. It operates funeral homes offering consultation, visitation, transportation, and merchandise, as well as cemeteries selling interment rights and related products. The company serves families at the time of need and through pre-arranged planning contracts.
Does CSV pay dividends?
Yes, Carriage Services pays a regular dividend. This is notable for a small-cap company in the consumer cyclical sector. Investors should review the current yield and the sustainability of the payout given the company's Weak Risk pillar rating before making income-focused decisions.
When does CSV report earnings?
Carriage Services follows a standard quarterly earnings cadence for US-listed companies. For exact release dates and the most current financial results, check the investor relations section of the Carriage Services website directly.
Is CSV a good stock to buy?
The UQS Score rates CSV as Below Average overall. While the Valuation pillar is Attractive and Quality and Moat are Neutral, the Weak Growth and Risk pillars present meaningful concerns. Whether it suits your portfolio depends on your risk tolerance and investment goals — view the full pillar breakdown for a complete picture.
Is CSV overvalued?
The UQS Valuation pillar for CSV is rated Attractive, suggesting the stock is not considered expensive relative to its fundamentals at current levels. However, an attractive valuation alone does not offset the concerns reflected in the Weak Growth and Risk pillars. Full valuation metrics are available to Pro members.
How does CSV compare to its competitors?
Carriage Services is one of the larger independent funeral and cemetery operators in the US, though it competes in a fragmented local market. Compared to the other service companies in its UQS peer group, CSV's profile is shaped by the stable but slow-growth nature of the death-care industry.
What is CSV's market cap bracket?
Carriage Services is classified as a small-cap company. This means it carries the liquidity and volatility characteristics typical of smaller public companies, which investors should factor into position sizing and risk management.
Who founded Carriage Services?
Carriage Services was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Detailed founding history and leadership background are publicly available through the company's official website and SEC filings.
Is CSV a long-term quality investment?
As a long-term quality indicator, the UQS Score rates CSV as Below Average. The death-care industry offers structural demand stability due to demographic trends, but the Weak Growth and Risk pillar ratings suggest the company would need to demonstrate improved financial performance to be considered a high-quality long-term holding.
What is the main competitive advantage of Carriage Services?
Carriage Services benefits from the inherently local nature of funeral and cemetery services — families typically choose providers close to home, creating geographic stickiness. Pre-need contracts also lock in future revenue. However, the UQS Moat pillar is rated only Neutral, indicating these advantages are not considered exceptional relative to broader market standards.
What sector does CSV belong to?
CSV is classified under the Consumer Cyclical sector. While death-care services have more stable demand than many consumer cyclical businesses, the company's cost structure and debt levels mean its financial performance can still be sensitive to broader economic conditions.
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Pro Analysis
CSV — Score History
| Date | UQS | Quality | Moat | Growth | Risk | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2026 | 47.6 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.3 | 9.3 | 83.5 | 0.0 |
| May 22, 2026 | 47.6 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.3 | 9.3 | 83.2 | +0.1 |
| May 21, 2026 | 47.5 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.3 | 9.3 | 82.5 | 0.0 |
| May 20, 2026 | 47.5 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.3 | 9.3 | 83.0 | -0.1 |
| May 19, 2026 | 47.6 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.3 | 9.3 | 83.2 | 0.0 |
| May 16, 2026 | 47.6 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.3 | 9.3 | 83.8 | 0.0 |
| May 15, 2026 | 47.6 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.3 | 9.3 | 83.4 | -0.1 |
| May 14, 2026 | 47.7 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.3 | 9.3 | 83.9 | +0.1 |
| May 13, 2026 | 47.6 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.3 | 9.3 | 83.6 | +0.1 |
| May 12, 2026 | 47.5 | 53.3 | 50.0 | 39.5 | 9.3 | 82.5 | +0.1 |
CSV — Pillar Breakdown
Quality
— 53.3/100 (25%)Carriage Services, Inc. has average quality metrics, with room for improvement in margins or capital efficiency.
How effectively capital is deployed to generate returns.
Profitability relative to shareholders' equity.
Ability to convert revenue into operating profit.
Bottom-line profit as a share of revenue.
Asset productivity — how much gross profit each dollar of assets generates.
Free cash flow relative to market value.
Growth
— 39.3/100 (20%)Carriage Services, Inc. shows steady but unspectacular growth, typical for mature companies.
Revenue trajectory over the last twelve months.
Compound annual revenue growth rate over 3 years.
Year-over-year earnings per share growth.
Analyst consensus for future revenue growth.
Analyst consensus for future earnings growth.
Risk
— 9.3/100 (15%)Carriage Services, Inc. presents elevated risk with concerns around leverage or financial stability.
Debt levels relative to earnings capacity.
Total debt relative to shareholder equity.
Short-term liquidity — ability to pay near-term obligations.
Earnings capacity relative to interest payments.
Valuation
— 83.0/100 (15%)Carriage Services, Inc. appears attractively valued relative to its earnings, cash flows, and sector peers.
Inverse of forward P/E — higher yield means cheaper stock.
How many years of FCF the market cap represents.
P/E relative to earnings growth — lower is more attractive.
Enterprise value multiple relative to sector median.
Moat
— 50/100 (25%)Carriage Services, Inc. possesses some competitive advantages but faces meaningful competition. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for CSV.
Score Composition
Financial Data
More Stock Analysis
How is the CSV UQS Score Calculated?
The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for Carriage Services, Inc. is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.
Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.
Moat (25%) assesses Carriage Services, Inc.'s competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.
Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.
Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.
Valuation (15%) measures whether Carriage Services, Inc. is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.
Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.