Q1 2024 EPS Estimates for Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Lifted by Analyst

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) – Seaport Res Ptn boosted their Q1 2024 earnings per share estimates for Stepan in a report released on Wednesday, April 17th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst M. Harrison now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $0.39 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.38. The consensus estimate for Stepan’s current full-year earnings is $2.50 per share.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 20th. The basic materials company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $532.13 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $534.48 million. Stepan had a net margin of 1.73% and a return on equity of 4.20%. Stepan’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.59 earnings per share.

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Stepan from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th.

Stepan Price Performance

Stepan stock opened at $84.17 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The company has a market capitalization of $1.89 billion, a PE ratio of 48.10 and a beta of 0.83. Stepan has a 12 month low of $63.60 and a 12 month high of $100.61. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $88.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $85.20.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stepan

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. O Keefe Stevens Advisory Inc. increased its holdings in Stepan by 1.8% in the first quarter. O Keefe Stevens Advisory Inc. now owns 58,767 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,291,000 after purchasing an additional 1,024 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in Stepan by 43.9% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,675 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $347,000 after acquiring an additional 1,121 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Stepan by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,562,730 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $242,306,000 after acquiring an additional 14,038 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Stepan by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,103 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,239,000 after acquiring an additional 937 shares during the period. Finally, Clarity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Stepan in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Stepan

In other news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 3,637 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total transaction of $327,730.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 255,567 shares in the company, valued at $23,029,142.37. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Stepan news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 3,637 shares of Stepan stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total value of $327,730.07. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 255,567 shares in the company, valued at $23,029,142.37. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of Stepan stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.43, for a total value of $174,860.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 250,676 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,916,602.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 10,637 shares of company stock worth $957,940 over the last ninety days. 6.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.78%. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 85.71%.

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.