Empowered Funds LLC Invests $4.95 Million in Stepan Company $SCL

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC acquired 88,869 Stepan shares worth approximately $4.95 million, representing a 0.39% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 82.70% of the company.
• Stepan reported quarterly EPS of $1.18, beating estimates of $0.61, while revenue rose 15% year over year to $684.11 million. The stock opened at $62.49, within its $41.82–$68.00 one-year range.
• Stepan declared a quarterly dividend of $0.395, or $1.58 annually, yielding about 2.5%. Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with the stock carrying a consensus “Reduce” rating despite one recent Buy recommendation.

Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 88,869 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $4,952,000. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.39% of Stepan as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Stepan by 86.9% during the fourth 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 during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Stepan by 206.5% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Stepan by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 10,325 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $516,000 after acquiring an additional 402 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new stake in shares of Stepan in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Stepan by 6.6% in the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 8,936 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $488,000 after acquiring an additional 553 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.70% of the company's stock.

Stepan Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE SCL opened at $62.49 on Tuesday. 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. The firm has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a P/E ratio of -520.75 and a beta of 0.94. The stock's 50-day moving average is $60.22 and its 200-day moving average is $54.97.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $684.11 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $635.85 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. Stepan's quarterly revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Stepan Company will post 2.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders 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 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Stepan's dividend payout ratio is -1,316.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.

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