Friday, June 15, 2012

Stewart Enterprises is Not Dead Yet

Stewart Enterprises (STEI) reported 2Q'12 results over a week ago on 02012.06.07. I missed the press release, but today (02012.06.15) I noticed the STEI SIR (Short Interest Ratio) was at 34 and that prompted me to look for "news." The following was copied from the 2Q'12 press release.
"For the second quarter of 2012, we generated the highest quarterly revenue, gross profit and adjusted earnings per share in four years."
Sounds good to me! I also liked the following highlight from 2Q'12: "operating and free cash flow of $20.7 million and $16.8 million, respectively."

The 2Q'12 press release ended with the following.

"Over the last two and a half years, the Board has increased our dividend by 60 percent, which reflects its commitment to returning capital to our shareholders through the payment of dividends and its continued confidence in the Company's financial condition and our ability to consistently generate cash flow."

I guess many investors do not believe Stewart Enterprises can sustain this performance.

STEI closed yesterday (02012.06.14) at $6.67. 52-week range: $4.92 - $7.88. Current SIR is 34.8.

No comments:

Post a Comment