Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL)’s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $49.79 and traded as high as $51.71. Stepan shares last traded at $50.52, with a volume of 145,867 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Stepan from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Stepan currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Stepan Stock Up 0.7%

The firm has a market cap of $1.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.27 and a beta of 1.05. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $55.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $49.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.37). The firm had revenue of $553.89 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $570.60 million. Stepan had a net margin of 2.01% and a return on equity of 3.38%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.12 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Stepan Company will post 3.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.395 per share. This represents a $1.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.07%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SCL. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Stepan by 25.4% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 163,111 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $7,725,000 after purchasing an additional 33,048 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV acquired a new position in shares of Stepan in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $224,000. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury increased its stake in Stepan by 84.1% during the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 16,858 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $798,000 after purchasing an additional 7,703 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in Stepan by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 77,553 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,673,000 after buying an additional 7,563 shares during the period. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Stepan by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 60,105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,847,000 after buying an additional 5,004 shares during the period. 82.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stepan Company Profile

Stepan Company is a global manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals, primarily known for its development and production of surfactants and related specialty products. The company’s portfolio includes a wide range of ingredients used to enhance the performance of consumer and industrial formulations, such as emulsifiers, foam control agents, odor control agents, antimicrobial products and performance additives. These products are integral components in cleaning solutions, personal care items, agrochemical formulations, coatings, oilfield treatments and polymer systems.

Serving a diverse set of end-markets, Stepan’s offerings address both consumer-facing and industrial applications.