Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Share Price Passes 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 Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $54.98 and traded as high as $62.44. Stepan shares last traded at $62.0050, with a volume of 69,796 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on SCL shares. Zacks Research raised Stepan from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Stepan from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $85.00 target price on shares of Stepan in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Stepan from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Stepan has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Stepan Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $59.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $54.99. The stock has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -522.33 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $684.11 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $635.85 million. Stepan had a negative net margin of 0.11% and a positive return on equity of 3.90%. The firm’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.52 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Stepan Company will post 2.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.395 per share. This represents a $1.58 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -1,316.67%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stepan

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in Stepan by 8.3% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 11,211 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $617,000 after acquiring an additional 859 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Stepan during the 1st quarter worth approximately $818,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Stepan by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 12,701 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $699,000 after purchasing an additional 555 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in Stepan by 4.3% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 66,301 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,649,000 after buying an additional 2,707 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new position in Stepan in the second quarter valued at approximately $495,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

About Stepan

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.