Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Sets New 52-Week Low - Should You Sell?

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $53.42 and last traded at $53.52, with a volume of 8423 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $54.19.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Stepan Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.07 billion, a PE ratio of 21.54 and a beta of 0.97. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $59.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

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

Stepan Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.385 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.24%. Stepan's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.68%.

Insider Transactions at Stepan

In related news, Director Susan Lewis purchased 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $120,452.88. This trade represents a 35.82 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in SCL. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Stepan by 11,484.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 14,365 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $791,000 after acquiring an additional 14,241 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Stepan by 124.3% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,025 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 568 shares during the period. Pullen Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Stepan by 39.8% in the fourth quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 7,055 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $456,000 after purchasing an additional 2,008 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP raised its position in shares of Stepan by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 6,606 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $427,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in shares of Stepan by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 76,324 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $4,938,000 after buying an additional 3,834 shares in the last quarter. 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.