Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Shares Pass Above 200 Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Shares of Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $50.49 and traded as high as $51.64. Stepan shares last traded at $51.2750, with a volume of 126,897 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SCL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Stepan from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Zacks Research downgraded Stepan from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Sell”.

Stepan Stock Up 1.2%

The company has a fifty day moving average of $50.06 and a two-hundred day moving average of $50.50. The company has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of -83.89 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.26.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.06. Stepan had a positive return on equity of 2.65% and a negative net margin of 0.61%.The company had revenue of $604.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $612.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.84 EPS. Stepan’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Stepan Company will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a $0.395 dividend. This represents a $1.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is -254.84%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stepan

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Stepan by 86.9% during the 4th quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 570 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Stepan by 206.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Stepan by 700.0% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 688 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Stepan during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S bought a new position in shares of Stepan during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. Institutional investors own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

About Stepan

Stepan Company is a global manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals, primarily known for its development and production of surfactants and related specialty products. The company’s portfolio includes a wide range of ingredients used to enhance the performance of consumer and industrial formulations, such as emulsifiers, foam control agents, odor control agents, antimicrobial products and performance additives. These products are integral components in cleaning solutions, personal care items, agrochemical formulations, coatings, oilfield treatments and polymer systems.

Serving a diverse set of end-markets, Stepan’s offerings address both consumer-facing and industrial applications.