Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL)’s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $53.05 and traded as high as $60.16. Stepan shares last traded at $59.4130, with a volume of 142,954 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on SCL shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Stepan from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Zacks Research raised shares of Stepan from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Stepan Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.35 billion, a PE ratio of -95.83 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $53.67 and a 200-day moving average of $53.05.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.06. Stepan had a negative net margin of 0.61% and a positive return on equity of 2.65%. The business had revenue of $604.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $612.25 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.84 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Stepan Company will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a dividend of $0.395 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $1.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Stepan’s payout ratio is currently -254.84%.

Institutional Trading of Stepan

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Stepan by 206.5% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Stepan by 86.9% during the fourth quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 570 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in Stepan by 700.0% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 688 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares during the period. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Stepan in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in Stepan in the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.