Just the other day as I was looking at public companies in the Death Care realm I noticed that Matthews International was paying a dividend to stockholders of just over 4% annually. I look at those type of things because when I make an investment I not only like the stock price to eventually…
I know a lot of people in funeral service. And, I might make a wager and say that most of those that I know are humble and enjoy helping their community and the world in which we live. Many of those people, when they look in the mirror, see somebody who has enjoyed a…
Propel Funeral Partners (PNP) which I believe is the 2nd largest Death Care provider in Australia and New Zealand and the largest “publicly traded” Death Care company in those countries reported their year-end results in late August. Propel’s fiscal year covers the time period of July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.…
If there was a doubt that how Death Care is changing is of interest to practitioners in the business, one would only have to look at article readership of Funeral Director Daily over the past thirty days to prove the point to the doubter. Every 30 days, on the 15th of each month,…
Central Co-op of Great Britain is an interesting company. They are a company with a history of over 100 years and operate in the grocery, legal services, floral, and funeral business. According to this Wikipedia page, the company operates over 1,000 funeral homes and is now the largest provider of Death Care…
BUSINESS
Might this be a trend in small community cemetery financing?
Nobody really likes taxes. . . .But, then again, nobody wants their loved ones forgotten either. If you are in the Death Care business you know of the costs to operate cemeteries. And,…
New York’s Green-Wood Cemetery becomes more immersive
This recent article from the Smithsonian Magazine mentions that “Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery—a sprawling, hilly burial ground filled with tombstones from the 19th and 20th centuries—has long been a destination for more than the dead.…
Is there something to learn here?
I’ll admit that I’m not the most tech savvy person when it comes to knowing how the internet and artificial intelligence might benefit my funeral home. But, I’m also a business person who is…
FINANCE
Carriage Services Earnings Call: Look for an acquisition announcement . . . and back to the basics in building market share
Last week Carriage Services reported their 1st Quarter of 2026 Financial Results and also conducted their Earnings Call with stock analysts. You can read Funeral Director Daily’s article on the 1Q26 earnings here. Today,…
Matthews International Earnings Call: Memorialization business, more acquisitions such as the Dodge purchase in the works?
Funeral home and cemetery products supplier Matthews International reported their January thru March 2026 earnings on April 30. The next day company CEO Joseph Bartolacci and company CFO Daniel Stopar answered questions from stock analysts…
SCI Earnings Call: CEO Tom Ryan answers on Preneed and Managing
Service Corporation International reported on their 1st Quarter of 2026 about ten days ago and then followed that up with an Earnings Call with stock analysts that follow the company. As usual Funeral Director…
REGULATIONS
Might this be a trend in small community cemetery financing?
Nobody really likes taxes. . . .But, then again, nobody wants their loved ones forgotten either. If you are in the Death Care business you know of the costs to operate cemeteries. And,…
California county sees fit to restrict Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains
Over the last month or so we have followed a growing discontent in Fresno County, California, and specifically an area along the San Joaquin River about the process of Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains…
Harvard business professor: Time to pay funeral expenses of organ donors
According to this recent article authored by Alex Chan of the Harvard Business School and Kurt Sweat of The School of Public Health at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center “In the U.S.,…
CEMETERY
Might this be a trend in small community cemetery financing?
Nobody really likes taxes. . . .But, then again, nobody wants their loved ones forgotten either. If you are in the Death Care business you know of the costs to operate cemeteries. And,…
New York’s Green-Wood Cemetery becomes more immersive
This recent article from the Smithsonian Magazine mentions that “Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery—a sprawling, hilly burial ground filled with tombstones from the 19th and 20th centuries—has long been a destination for more than the dead.…
SCI Earnings Call: CEO Tom Ryan answers on Preneed and Managing
Service Corporation International reported on their 1st Quarter of 2026 about ten days ago and then followed that up with an Earnings Call with stock analysts that follow the company. As usual Funeral Director…
CREMATION
Price: Calculated by Supply and Demand
I’m not an economics major but I know that the price I can charge for my goods or services is somewhat dictated by the supply and demand of those goods and services. Is that…
Are we asking the right question?
Over my years as an active funeral director I would be called to the place of death and eventually ask the family before I left, “Are you thinking about burial or cremation?” If you’re…
Heating homes with cremation emissions: An ethical question?
Energy transfer is not a new science. Yet I was surprised when I read this recent article published in The World – Public Radio that was titled “How cremations are helping to heat…
PRENEED
SCI Earnings Call: CEO Tom Ryan answers on Preneed and Managing
Service Corporation International reported on their 1st Quarter of 2026 about ten days ago and then followed that up with an Earnings Call with stock analysts that follow the company. As usual Funeral Director…
Survey finds continued growth in the Preneed market . . but, there are cracks in the armor
Preneed continues to grow. . . .but is the growth enough? That is a great question and, among other things, we will look at the percentage growth of preneed on a “revenue per preneed…
Park Lawn situation: In Substack article, author Russo opines on the events of last week
On Monday of this week Substack, under their “On Deathcare” platform released a very well researched article by author Tony Russo titled, “Why are we still pretending Homesteaders is ‘just’ a Park Lawn investor?”…
PRODUCTS
California county sees fit to restrict Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains
Over the last month or so we have followed a growing discontent in Fresno County, California, and specifically an area along the San Joaquin River about the process of Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains…
Parting Stone hires former customer and industry award recipient, continues march forward with funeral home partners
Parting Stone, the pioneer in solidified remains, announced last week in a press release that they have hired the 2025 recipient of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Inspiration Award, Katey Houston, “. .…
Batesville makes investment in Eterneva, will “leverage” client relationships
Last week Batesville announced in this press release that they had “made an equity investment in Eterneva and formed a strategic partnership with the company to expand access to custom memorial diamonds.” Batesville also…
