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

Stepan (NYSE:SCL)’s share price reached a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as $56.44 and last traded at $56.72, with a volume of 6067 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $57.37.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 20th.

Stepan Stock Down 3.2 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 25.07 and a beta of 0.82. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $60.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $68.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.33). The firm had revenue of $525.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $520.97 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.21% and a net margin of 2.31%. The company’s revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.33 EPS. Analysts forecast that Stepan will post 3.55 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Stepan’s payout ratio is currently 69.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Susan Lewis acquired 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $63.53 per share, with a total value of $31,765.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $120,452.88. This trade represents a 35.82 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 6.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Stepan in the third quarter valued at approximately $370,000. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Stepan in the 3rd quarter valued at $392,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Stepan by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 374,220 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,908,000 after purchasing an additional 18,854 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Stepan by 27.1% during the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 5,834 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $451,000 after purchasing an additional 1,243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of Stepan in the third quarter worth $244,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

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.