GSA Capital Partners LLP Purchases Shares of 19,292 Stepan Company $SCL

Key Points

• GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased 19,292 Stepan shares worth approximately $1.08 million, representing about 0.08% of the company; institutional investors collectively own 82.70% of SCL.
• Stepan reported quarterly earnings of $1.18 per share, beating estimates of $0.61, while revenue rose 15% year over year to $684.11 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with the stock carrying an average “Reduce” rating despite one $85 price target and recent upgrades. Stepan also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.395 per share, yielding approximately 2.4% annually.

GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 19,292 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $1,075,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP owned about 0.08% of Stepan at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of SCL. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Stepan by 206.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Stepan by 86.9% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Stepan by 700.0% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 688 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares during the period. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Stepan in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S bought a new position in shares of Stepan in the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Stepan Trading Down 0.8%

SCL opened at $64.63 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Stepan Company has a 52 week low of $41.82 and a 52 week high of $68.00. The stock has a market cap of $1.47 billion, a PE ratio of -538.58 and a beta of 0.94. The business has a 50 day moving average of $58.35 and a 200-day moving average of $54.80.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.57. The company had revenue of $684.11 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $635.85 million. Stepan had a positive return on equity of 3.90% and a negative net margin of 0.11%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.52 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Stepan Company will post 2.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a $0.395 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $1.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. 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.

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