Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Raised to “Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Friday morning.

Stepan Stock Down 2.5 %

Shares of NYSE SCL opened at $61.08 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a PE ratio of 30.39 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $66.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.93. Stepan has a 12-month low of $59.70 and a 12-month high of $94.76.

Institutional Trading of Stepan

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Stepan by 110.6% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 43.9% in the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 934 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in Stepan by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 10,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $811,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its position in Stepan by 4.8% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 11,920 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 541 shares during the period. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in Stepan by 14.4% during the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 4,765 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. 82.70% of the stock is currently 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.