Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Raised to Hold at Zacks Research

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded Stepan from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Stepan presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Stepan Stock Down 0.7%

SCL opened at $56.43 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $52.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $52.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The stock has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a P/E ratio of -91.01 and a beta of 0.95. Stepan has a 12 month low of $41.82 and a 12 month high of $68.00.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $612.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.84 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Stepan will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stepan

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Stepan by 86.9% in the 4th quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 570 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 206.5% in the second 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 during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 700.0% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 688 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Stepan in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Stepan during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 82.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.