Stepan (NYSE:SCL) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.39

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, October 30th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a dividend of 0.385 per share by the basic materials company on Friday, December 13th. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.13%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. This is an increase from Stepan's previous quarterly dividend of $0.38.

Stepan has raised its dividend by an average of 9.2% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 56 years. Stepan has a payout ratio of 36.0% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Stepan to earn $4.08 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.50 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 36.8%.

Stepan Trading Down 2.7 %

Shares of Stepan stock traded down $2.04 during trading on Thursday, reaching $72.41. 134,508 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 91,858. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock's fifty day moving average is $75.21 and its 200 day moving average is $80.85. The firm has a market cap of $1.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.02 and a beta of 0.80. Stepan has a 1 year low of $69.78 and a 1 year high of $96.68.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.39. Stepan had a net margin of 1.58% and a return on equity of 3.83%. The company had revenue of $546.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $577.23 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.64 earnings per share. Stepan's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Stepan will post 2.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Stepan from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 28th.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP David Kabbes purchased 1,056 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $71.39 per share, for a total transaction of $75,387.84. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 1,056 shares in the company, valued at $75,387.84. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 6.90% of the company's stock.

Stepan Company Profile

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.