Fisher Asset Management LLC Lowers Position in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Fisher Asset Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Free Report) by 22.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 38,360 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 11,082 shares during the quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.17% of Stepan worth $3,627,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in shares of Stepan by 2,141.7% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 269 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Stepan by 277.5% during the 4th quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 453 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares in the last quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Stepan in the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Stepan in the fourth quarter worth approximately $48,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. bought a new position in Stepan during the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Stepan Price Performance

Shares of SCL traded up $0.24 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $87.16. 45,007 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 75,618. Stepan has a 12 month low of $63.60 and a 12 month high of $100.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a PE ratio of 52.51 and a beta of 0.83. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $86.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $86.66.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.29. Stepan had a net margin of 1.71% and a return on equity of 4.04%. The business had revenue of $551.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $575.83 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.71 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Stepan 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 Friday, June 14th. Investors of record on Friday, May 31st will be given a $0.375 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 30th. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.72%. Stepan's payout ratio is 90.36%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Stepan from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.43, for a total transaction of $174,860.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 250,676 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,916,602.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of Stepan stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.43, for a total value of $174,860.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 250,676 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,916,602.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 3,637 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total transaction of $327,730.07. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 255,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $23,029,142.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 10,637 shares of company stock valued at $957,940. Corporate insiders own 7.00% of the company's stock.

About Stepan

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.