Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Downgraded to Sell at StockNews.com

Posted by on Jun 14th, 2023

Stepan (NYSE:SCL – Get Rating) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report issued on Wednesday.

Separately, TheStreet cut Stepan from a “b-” rating to a “c” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th.

Stepan Stock Up 0.7 %

SCL stock opened at $96.28 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.73 and a beta of 0.83. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $95.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $102.28. Stepan has a fifty-two week low of $87.11 and a fifty-two week high of $116.72.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL – Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The basic materials company reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.94 by ($0.23). The firm had revenue of $651.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $649.73 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 11.20% and a net margin of 4.31%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Stepan will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Scott R. Behrens sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.91, for a total value of $179,820.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 12,756 shares in the company, valued at $1,146,891.96. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, VP Arthur W. Mergner sold 3,987 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.34, for a total value of $372,146.58. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 27,616 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,577,677.44. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Scott R. Behrens sold 2,000 shares of Stepan stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.91, for a total value of $179,820.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 12,756 shares in the company, valued at $1,146,891.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,983 shares of company stock worth $748,034. Company insiders own 6.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Stepan

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Stepan during the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in shares of Stepan by 226.5% in the first quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 591 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 410 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Stepan by 2,869.2% in the third quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 772 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 746 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stepan by 74.6% in the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 861 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $81,000 after acquiring an additional 368 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Stepan in the second quarter worth approximately $148,000. 76.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Stepan

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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 as principal ingredients 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.

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