Inceptionr LLC Makes New Investment in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Inceptionr LLC bought a new stake in Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 6,595 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $427,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Stepan by 409.2% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 92,053 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $7,111,000 after acquiring an additional 73,976 shares during the last quarter. Southernsun Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Stepan by 11.0% in the third quarter. Southernsun Asset Management LLC now owns 309,447 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $23,905,000 after purchasing an additional 30,703 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Stepan by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 403,399 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $26,100,000 after purchasing an additional 29,179 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in Stepan by 177.6% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 44,790 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $3,460,000 after purchasing an additional 28,655 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Stepan by 8.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 321,396 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $20,794,000 after buying an additional 23,855 shares during the last quarter. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Stepan

In related news, Director Susan Lewis bought 500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $63.53 per share, with a total value of $31,765.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 1,896 shares in the company, valued at approximately $120,452.88. This trade represents a 35.82 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 7.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Stepan Stock Performance

Shares of SCL traded down $1.81 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $57.21. 68,438 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 124,605. The company has a market capitalization of $1.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.88 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Stepan has a twelve month low of $56.50 and a twelve month high of $94.76. The business's 50-day moving average price is $62.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $70.11.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.33). The firm had revenue of $525.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $520.97 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.21% and a net margin of 2.31%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Stepan will post 3.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.385 per share. This represents a $1.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.69%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Stepan's payout ratio is currently 69.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Stepan from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 20th.

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.