Signaturefd LLC Buys 955 Shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Signaturefd LLC increased its position in Stepan (NYSE:SCL) by 645.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,103 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 955 shares during the quarter. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in Stepan were worth $104,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of SCL. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Stepan by 2,141.7% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 269 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. Adirondack Trust Co. bought a new stake in Stepan during the third quarter valued at $37,000. Copeland Capital Management LLC grew its position in Stepan by 277.5% during the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 453 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 333 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in Stepan in the 4th quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Stepan in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

Stepan Stock Performance

Stepan stock opened at $84.53 on Tuesday. Stepan has a fifty-two week low of $63.60 and a fifty-two week high of $100.61. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $87.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $86.00. The stock has a market cap of $1.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.30 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.40.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 20th. The basic materials company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $532.13 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $534.48 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.20% and a net margin of 1.73%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.59 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Stepan will post 2.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.77%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. Stepan’s payout ratio is currently 85.71%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.43, for a total value of $174,860.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 250,676 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,916,602.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Stepan news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.43, for a total value of $174,860.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.07, for a total value of $455,350.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 255,567 shares in the company, valued at $23,274,486.69. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 10,637 shares of company stock valued at $957,940. 7.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

About Stepan

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.