Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Stock Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $51.71 and traded as high as $54.97. Stepan shares last traded at $53.8890, with a volume of 105,572 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SCL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Zacks Research lowered Stepan from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Stepan from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Sell”.

Stepan Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $51.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $51.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -86.72 and a beta of 0.96.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.06. Stepan had a positive return on equity of 2.65% and a negative net margin of 0.61%.The business had revenue of $604.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $612.25 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.84 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Stepan Company will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were given a $0.395 dividend. This represents a $1.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is currently -254.84%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Stepan by 86.9% in the fourth quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 570 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Stepan by 206.5% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Stepan by 700.0% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 688 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Stepan in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Stepan in the third quarter valued at $43,000. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Stepan Company Profile

Stepan Company is a global manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals, primarily known for its development and production of surfactants and related specialty products. The company’s portfolio includes a wide range of ingredients used to enhance the performance of consumer and industrial formulations, such as emulsifiers, foam control agents, odor control agents, antimicrobial products and performance additives. These products are integral components in cleaning solutions, personal care items, agrochemical formulations, coatings, oilfield treatments and polymer systems.

Serving a diverse set of end-markets, Stepan’s offerings address both consumer-facing and industrial applications.