Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Reaches New 52-Week Low – What’s Next?

Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $41.94 and last traded at $42.0450, with a volume of 62214 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $42.53.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on SCL shares. Weiss Ratings raised Stepan from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Stepan from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Stepan Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $47.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $958.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.41 and a beta of 0.96.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The basic materials company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $590.28 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $593.65 million. Stepan had a net margin of 1.96% and a return on equity of 3.70%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.03 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Stepan Company will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Stepan Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 28th will be paid a $0.395 dividend. This is a positive change from Stepan’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. This represents a $1.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 28th. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is currently 77.78%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Stepan by 206.5% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the period. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Stepan in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Stepan by 45.4% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 589 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stepan by 231.4% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 865 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 604 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Stepan during the 1st quarter worth about $50,000. 82.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.