Core Capital Management & Research inc. Takes Position in Stepan Company $SCL

Core Capital Management & Research inc. acquired a new position in Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 47,917 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $2,670,000. Stepan makes up approximately 1.4% of Core Capital Management & Research inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest position. Core Capital Management & Research inc. owned approximately 0.21% of Stepan as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in SCL. PDT Partners LLC bought a new stake in Stepan during the second quarter worth approximately $2,682,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stepan by 124.8% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 174,376 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $8,715,000 after purchasing an additional 96,823 shares during the last quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 947,452 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $47,354,000 after purchasing an additional 47,075 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in shares of Stepan in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,302,000. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. bought a new position in shares of Stepan during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $850,000. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on SCL shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Stepan from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Stepan from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Zacks Research raised shares of Stepan from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating and issued a $85.00 target price on shares of Stepan in a report on Friday, August 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Stepan presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce".

Stepan Price Performance

Shares of SCL stock opened at $61.62 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.40 billion, a P/E ratio of -513.46 and a beta of 0.94. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $61.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $54.77. Stepan Company has a one year low of $41.82 and a one year high of $68.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.57. Stepan had a positive return on equity of 3.90% and a negative net margin of 0.11%.The firm had revenue of $684.11 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $635.85 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.52 earnings per share. Stepan's quarterly revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Stepan Company will post 2.69 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be issued a $0.395 dividend. This represents a $1.58 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Stepan's dividend payout ratio is currently -1,316.67%.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SCL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.