Stepan Company (SCL) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.40 on March 13th

Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, February 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a dividend of 0.395 per share by the basic materials company on Friday, March 13th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd.

Stepan has increased its dividend by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 57 consecutive years. Stepan has a payout ratio of 38.2% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Stepan to earn $4.79 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.58 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 33.0%.

Stepan Trading Down 0.7%

SCL traded down $0.36 during trading on Friday, reaching $50.98. 177,850 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 188,823. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $55.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 24.87 and a beta of 1.05. Stepan has a fifty-two week low of $41.82 and a fifty-two week high of $68.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.29.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.37). Stepan had a net margin of 2.01% and a return on equity of 3.38%. The firm had revenue of $553.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $570.60 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.12 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Stepan will post 3.55 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Stepan by 206.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new position in Stepan in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Stepan by 700.0% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 688 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Stepan in the third quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

About Stepan

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.