Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Sets New 12-Month Low - Time to Sell?

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $56.44 and last traded at $56.72, with a volume of 6067 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $57.37.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com cut Stepan from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th.

Stepan Stock Down 0.4 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The business's 50-day moving average is $60.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.93 and a beta of 0.82.

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

Stepan Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.385 per share. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.80%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. Stepan's dividend payout ratio is presently 69.68%.

Insider Activity at Stepan

In other news, Director Susan Lewis bought 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $63.53 per share, for a total transaction of $31,765.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,896 shares of the company's stock, valued at $120,452.88. The trade was a 35.82 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 6.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in SCL. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in Stepan by 110.6% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Stepan by 781.4% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 617 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 547 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its position in Stepan by 40.8% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,315 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $85,000 after buying an additional 381 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Stepan in the third quarter valued at approximately $161,000. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Stepan in the third quarter valued at approximately $168,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.70% 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.