Southernsun Asset Management LLC Raises Stock Position in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Southernsun Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Free Report) by 11.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 309,447 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 30,703 shares during the period. Stepan comprises 2.8% of Southernsun Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Southernsun Asset Management LLC owned 1.38% of Stepan worth $23,905,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SCL. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Stepan by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,541 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $717,000 after buying an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its position in shares of Stepan by 1.9% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 10,700 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $898,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Stepan by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 4,210 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $353,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Stepan by 43.9% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 934 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its stake in Stepan by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 10,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $811,000 after buying an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. 82.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stepan Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE SCL traded down $0.17 on Friday, reaching $74.11. 8,720 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 94,575. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.67 billion, a PE ratio of 36.96 and a beta of 0.82. Stepan has a fifty-two week low of $69.78 and a fifty-two week high of $96.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a 50 day moving average of $75.58 and a 200 day moving average of $79.19.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.38. Stepan had a net margin of 2.10% and a return on equity of 4.56%. The firm had revenue of $546.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $577.23 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.64 earnings per share. Stepan's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Stepan will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a dividend of $0.385 per share. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. This is an increase from Stepan's previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Stepan's payout ratio is 76.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com raised Stepan from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, November 17th.

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.