Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Acquires 23,022 Shares of Stepan Company $SCL

Key Points

• Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL) by 5.7% during Q1, now owning approximately 1.89% of the company's shares worth $23.47 million.
• Stepan Company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.385 per share, representing a 3.1% yield, with a dividend payout ratio of 60.63%.
• Recent analyst reports have downgraded Stepan's stock, with Zacks Research changing its rating from "hold" to a "strong sell" and a current consensus rating of "sell" among analysts.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL - Free Report) by 5.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 426,421 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 23,022 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 1.89% of Stepan worth $23,470,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Forum Financial Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Stepan by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 6,606 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $427,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in shares of Stepan by 2.7% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 14,057 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $774,000 after acquiring an additional 373 shares in the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Stepan by 67.9% during the first quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 1,048 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 424 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Stepan by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 12,146 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $786,000 after acquiring an additional 456 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its holdings in shares of Stepan by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 13,100 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $848,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. 82.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SCL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Stepan from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Zacks Research downgraded Stepan from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Stepan currently has a consensus rating of "Sell".

Stepan Stock Performance

NYSE:SCL traded up $0.04 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $50.59. The company's stock had a trading volume of 302,328 shares, compared to its average volume of 135,365. The firm has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.92 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.35. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $54.05 and a 200-day moving average of $54.75. Stepan Company has a 12 month low of $44.23 and a 12 month high of $82.08.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.40). The business had revenue of $594.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $598.25 million. Stepan had a net margin of 2.57% and a return on equity of 4.78%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. Research analysts expect that Stepan Company will post 3.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 29th will be paid a $0.385 dividend. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. Stepan's dividend payout ratio is 60.63%.

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.