Stepan (SCL) to Release Earnings on Tuesday

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) is scheduled to be announcing its earnings results before the market opens on Tuesday, April 30th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.34 per share for the quarter. Investors that wish to register for the company’s conference call can do so using this link.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 20th. The basic materials company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.04). Stepan had a return on equity of 4.20% and a net margin of 1.73%. The company had revenue of $532.13 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $534.48 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.59 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect Stepan to post $3 EPS for the current fiscal year and $5 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Stepan Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of Stepan stock opened at $83.98 on Friday. Stepan has a 12-month low of $63.60 and a 12-month high of $100.61. The stock has a market cap of $1.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.99 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The business’s 50 day moving average is $87.31 and its 200-day moving average is $85.73.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were paid a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is currently 85.71%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Stepan from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th.

Insider Activity at Stepan

In other Stepan news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 3,637 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total transaction of $327,730.07. Following the transaction, the director now owns 255,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,029,142.37. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of Stepan stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.43, for a total value of $174,860.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 250,676 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,916,602.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 3,637 shares of Stepan stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total value of $327,730.07. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 255,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,029,142.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,637 shares of company stock worth $957,940. Company insiders own 6.90% of the company’s stock.

Stepan Company Profile

Stepan Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells specialty and intermediate chemicals to other manufacturers for use in various end products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Surfactants, Polymers, and Specialty Products. The Surfactants segment offers surfactants that are used in consumer and industrial cleaning and disinfection products, including detergents for washing clothes, dishes, carpets, and floors and walls, as well as shampoos and body washes; and other applications, such as fabric softeners, germicidal quaternary compounds, disinfectants, and lubricating ingredients.