Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Has $30.59 Million Stock Holdings in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Free Report) by 8.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 323,556 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 25,570 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 1.45% of Stepan worth $30,592,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in Stepan by 2,141.7% in 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 lifted its stake in Stepan by 277.5% in the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 453 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Stepan during the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Stepan during the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in shares of Stepan by 645.3% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,103 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 955 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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 at Stepan

In other Stepan news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 3,637 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total value of $327,730.07. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 255,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $23,029,142.37. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 7th. The shares were 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 approximately $21,916,602.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 3,637 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total transaction of $327,730.07. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 255,567 shares in the company, valued at $23,029,142.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 10,637 shares of company stock worth $957,940 in the last 90 days. 6.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Stepan Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE:SCL traded down $1.58 during trading on Thursday, hitting $86.15. 65,418 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 73,383. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.90 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Stepan has a 12-month low of $63.60 and a 12-month high of $100.46. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $86.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $87.58.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.29. Stepan had a net margin of 1.71% and a return on equity of 4.04%. The firm had revenue of $551.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $575.83 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.71 EPS. Stepan's revenue for the quarter was down 15.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Stepan will post 2.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 is Friday, May 31st. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.74%. Stepan's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.36%.

Stepan 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.