Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Stock Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL)’s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $48.83 and traded as high as $54.75. Stepan shares last traded at $54.7150, with a volume of 158,118 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SCL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Stepan from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Stepan in a report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Stepan Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $47.52 and a 200-day moving average of $48.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.30. The stock has a market cap of $1.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.63 and a beta of 1.05.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The basic materials company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $590.28 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $593.65 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 3.70% and a net margin of 1.96%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.03 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Stepan Company will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Stepan Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 28th were paid a $0.395 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $1.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. This is an increase from Stepan’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is presently 79.80%.

Institutional Trading of Stepan

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Stepan by 206.5% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Stepan by 45.4% in the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 589 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new stake in Stepan in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Stepan during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Stepan by 231.4% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 865 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 604 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

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.