StockNews.com Downgrades Stepan (NYSE:SCL) to Hold

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Tuesday.

Stepan Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of Stepan stock traded up $0.74 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $62.99. 94,941 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 120,205. Stepan has a 52-week low of $59.70 and a 52-week high of $95.33. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $71.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.80. The firm has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.34 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $546.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $577.23 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.64 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Stepan will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stepan

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Inspire Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Stepan by 5.6% in 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. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Stepan by 110.6% in the fourth 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. KBC Group NV grew its stake in shares of Stepan by 43.9% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 934 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its holdings in shares of Stepan by 2.8% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 10,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $811,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quest Partners LLC boosted its stake in Stepan by 3,053.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 473 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 458 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.

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