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

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Stepan Trading Down 0.3%

The business has a 50 day moving average price of $47.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $51.68. The company has a market capitalization of $958.56 million, a P/E ratio of 21.41 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The basic materials company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.12. The firm 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.03 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Stepan Company will post 3.55 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.395 per share. This is a boost 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 presently 77.78%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stepan

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised 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 buying an additional 351 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Stepan by 45.4% during the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 589 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. bought a new stake in Stepan in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Stepan by 231.4% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 865 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 604 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Stepan in the 1st quarter worth $50,000. 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.