Stock fact sheet · data as of
Carriage Services, Inc. (CSV): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Consumer Cyclical · Personal Products & Services · United States · Value
Is CSV undervalued?
Carriage Services, Inc. (CSV) closed at 36.13 on 16 Oct 2026, 25% above the GLS average fair value of 28.94. Only 1 of the 8 models that produced a number value the shares above the current price. The margin of safety is negative, so the stock fails the "below fair value" rule of the Sunday Scan; a premium of this size is common for companies whose growth the models are conservative about.
The 8 models disagree widely: DDM gives 6.62 while Graham Growth gives 71.90. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files CSV under Value: positive earnings at a P/E of 18 or less.
Nine valuation models for CSV
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 12.57 | -65% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 33.80 | -6% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 71.90 | +99% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 24.68 | -32% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 23.14 | -36% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 27.25 | -25% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | - | - | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself; no value tonight |
| DDM | 6.62 | -82% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 31.60 | -13% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -65.17 | -280% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 46.67 | +29% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - CSV passes 5 of the nine Piotroski tests, which falls one point short of the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is 6.0 out of 10: a ten-year record that is consistent in some of the metrics the score tracks (revenue, earnings, margins, cash flow, returns on capital) and patchy in others.
Returns on capital are moderate - ROIC 6.3%, ROE 20.2%, ROA 3.8% - with debt at 2.21 times equity and negative free cash flow. Debt of 2.21 times equity is on the high side for the sector and is worth checking against the cash flow before treating the stock as a long-term hold.
The dividend yield is 1.25% with a payout ratio of 16% - a small yield that leaves most of the earnings in the business. Revenue comes mainly from Property and Merchandise 31%, Funeral And Cemetery Services 30%, Cemetery Interment Rights 17% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 5/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | 6.3% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 6.0 / 10 | ROE | 20.2% |
| Debt / equity | 2.21 | ROA | 3.8% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | -3.8% | Payout ratio | 16% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 5 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 53: Fair
CSV scores 53 out of 100 on the Wheel Score (Fair band, 50-64): a usable but unremarkable fit for the wheel strategy. The parts: Value 2/25, Health 11/20, Moat 9/15, Premium 20/20, Stability 11/20. Value (2/25) is where the points are missing.
Implied volatility is 44% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is thin - 609 contracts across every expiry - so fills at a fair price are not guaranteed; a 30-45-day put may not exist at a usable strike.
Volume runs at 410k shares a day on a market cap of $574M, with a beta of 0.79 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 11 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 2 / 25 | -25% margin of safety | |
| Health | 11 / 20 | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Moat | 9 / 15 | moat 6.0/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 44% | |
| Stability | 11 / 20 | 410k shares/day, $574M cap, beta 0.79 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 4 Nov 2026 (after the close), 19 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Personal Products & Services
The 11 companies below are the closest to Carriage Services, Inc. by market cap within the Personal Products & Services industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WW WW International, Inc. | 14.27 | 51.05 | +72% | 43Weak | $143M |
| MED Medifast, Inc. | 12.06 | 45.12 | +73% | 45Weak | $135M |
| RGS Regis Corporation | 28.77 | 87.85 | +67% | 39No options | $72M |
| FTDR Frontdoor, Inc. | 78.26 | 105.26 | +26% | 89Prime | $5.4B |
| HRB H&R Block, Inc. | 48.31 | 140.40 | +66% | 90Prime | $5.9B |
| ANDG Andersen | 58.95 | 120.01 | +51% | 39No options | $6.6B |
| SCI Service Corporation International | 79.44 | 64.77 | -23% | 57Fair | $10.8B |
| XWEL XWELL, Inc. | 0.7300 | - | - | 29No options | $6M |
| EJH E-Home Household Service Holdings Limited | 1.30 | 2,741.17 | +100% | 39No options | $4M |
| FMFC Kandal M Venture Limited | 5.95 | 17.47 | +66% | 39No options | $2M |
| MRM MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. | 0.3787 | 0.6524 | +42% | 39No options | $2M |
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A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the same eight-rule screen, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about CSV
Is CSV undervalued right now?
No: at 36.13 the stock trades 25% above the GLS average fair value of 28.94 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). The margin of safety is negative.
What is the Wheel Score of CSV and what does it mean?
CSV scores 53 out of 100 (Fair). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for CSV?
28.94 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 8 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Carriage Services, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 4 Nov 2026 (after the close), 19 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does CSV have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 96 listed contracts with 609 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 44% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.