Marshall Wace LLP Takes Position in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in Stepan (NYSE:SCL) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 8,295 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $696,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quest Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Stepan by 3,053.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 473 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 458 shares during the period. Clarity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Stepan in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Stepan in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $59,000. Adirondack Trust Co. boosted its stake in shares of Stepan by 60.0% during the 2nd quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 800 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Stepan during the 2nd quarter valued at $123,000. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stepan Trading Down 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE SCL opened at $74.25 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $1.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.73 and a beta of 0.80. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $75.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $82.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.32. Stepan has a 52 week low of $63.60 and a 52 week high of $96.68.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.26). Stepan had a return on equity of 3.83% and a net margin of 1.58%. The business had revenue of $556.41 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $581.30 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.53 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Stepan will post 2.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were paid a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.02%. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.36%.

Insider Transactions at Stepan

In related news, VP David Kabbes bought 1,056 shares of Stepan stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $71.39 per share, for a total transaction of $75,387.84. Following the acquisition, the vice president now owns 1,056 shares in the company, valued at $75,387.84. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 6.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 28th.

Stepan 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.