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

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Sunday.

Stepan Price Performance

Shares of SCL opened at $74.74 on Friday. Stepan has a 52 week low of $69.78 and a 52 week high of $96.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market cap of $1.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.18 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $75.26 and a 200-day moving average of $80.24.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.38. Stepan had a net margin of 2.10% and a return on equity of 4.56%. The firm had revenue of $546.84 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $577.23 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.64 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Stepan will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stepan

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Quest Partners LLC grew its position in Stepan by 3,053.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 473 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 458 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Stepan in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Stepan in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Adirondack Trust Co. raised its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV boosted its position in Stepan by 43.9% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 934 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the period. 82.70% of the stock is 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.