Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Issues Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.33 EPS

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The basic materials company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.33), Zacks reports. Stepan had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 4.21%. The business had revenue of $525.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $520.97 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.33 earnings per share. Stepan's revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Stepan Trading Down 1.8 %

NYSE:SCL traded down $1.15 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $62.76. The stock had a trading volume of 105,616 shares, compared to its average volume of 122,780. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $64.21 and a 200 day moving average of $71.39. 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 company has a market capitalization of $1.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.40 and a beta of 0.84. Stepan has a one year low of $59.55 and a one year high of $94.76.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.385 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.45%. Stepan's dividend payout ratio is 69.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Stepan from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday.

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.