Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The basic materials company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.39, Briefing.com reports. The firm had revenue of $546.84 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $577.23 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.56% and a net margin of 2.10%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.64 EPS.

Stepan Price Performance

Shares of SCL traded up $0.09 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $72.43. 10,821 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 91,476. The company has a market cap of $1.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.03 and a beta of 0.80. Stepan has a fifty-two week low of $69.78 and a fifty-two week high of $96.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $75.21 and its 200 day moving average is $80.85.

Stepan Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.385 per share. This is a positive change from Stepan’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. This represents a $1.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is 74.63%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insider Transactions at Stepan

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

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.