Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research
by Tristan Rich · The Markets DailyStepan (NYSE:SCL – Get Free Report) was downgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.
Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Stepan from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Stepan currently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on SCL
Stepan Trading Down 2.0%
NYSE:SCL opened at $48.81 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.11 billion, a PE ratio of 23.81 and a beta of 1.05. Stepan has a 52-week low of $41.82 and a 52-week high of $68.00. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $55.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.
Stepan (NYSE:SCL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.37). The firm had revenue of $553.89 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $570.60 million. Stepan had a net margin of 2.01% and a return on equity of 3.38%. Stepan’s revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.12 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Stepan will post 3.55 EPS for the current year.
Institutional Trading of Stepan
A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SCL. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in Stepan by 6.1% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,599,083 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $76,276,000 after buying an additional 91,746 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Stepan by 6.7% in the 2nd quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 1,336,855 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $72,966,000 after acquiring an additional 83,941 shares during the period. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. increased its stake in Stepan by 29.5% in the 4th quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 900,377 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $42,642,000 after purchasing an additional 205,157 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Stepan by 8.4% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 586,473 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $27,975,000 after purchasing an additional 45,520 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Stepan by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 514,401 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $24,362,000 after purchasing an additional 2,060 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.70% of the company’s stock.
Stepan Company Profile
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.