Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Hits New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Stepan (NYSE:SCL)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $45.94 and last traded at $47.60, with a volume of 176312 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $48.46.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th.

Stepan Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 22.47 and a beta of 0.97. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $58.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.85.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.33). Stepan had a return on equity of 4.21% and a net margin of 2.31%. The company had revenue of $525.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $520.97 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.33 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Stepan will post 3.55 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.385 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $1.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.10%. Stepan’s payout ratio is 69.68%.

Insider Transactions at Stepan

In other Stepan news, Director Susan Lewis acquired 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $63.53 per share, with a total value of $31,765.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,896 shares in the company, valued at $120,452.88. The trade was a 35.82 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 6.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Stepan

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted 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 valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 781.4% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 617 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 547 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its stake in Stepan by 40.8% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,315 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 381 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Stepan during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $170,000. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Stepan during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $239,000. 82.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.