Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Here’s What Happened

Stepan (NYSE:SCL)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $61.89 and last traded at $62.28, with a volume of 75744 shares. The stock had previously closed at $63.53.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Stepan from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, November 17th.

Stepan Stock Down 2.0 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.99 and a beta of 0.84. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $72.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $76.53.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.38. The business had revenue of $546.84 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $577.23 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.56% and a net margin of 2.10%. The business’s revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.64 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Stepan will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th were issued a $0.385 dividend. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.47%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. This is a boost from Stepan’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Stepan’s payout ratio is 76.62%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 110.6% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC grew its position in Stepan by 3,053.3% during the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 473 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 458 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stepan in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in shares of Stepan by 43.9% in the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 934 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in shares of Stepan during the 2nd quarter valued at $129,000. Institutional investors own 82.70% 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.