Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Friday.

Stepan Stock Up 0.6%

Stepan stock traded up $0.34 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $55.60. The company's stock had a trading volume of 226,662 shares, compared to its average volume of 125,241. Stepan has a fifty-two week low of $44.23 and a fifty-two week high of $94.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.60 and a beta of 1.02. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $53.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $58.07.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The basic materials company reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.33. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.61% and a net margin of 2.53%. The company had revenue of $593.26 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $562.77 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.64 earnings per share. Stepan's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Stepan will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Stepan

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Forum Financial Management LP raised its stake in Stepan by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 6,606 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $427,000 after buying an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew 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 worth $774,000 after purchasing an additional 373 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC grew 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 worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 424 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew 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 worth $786,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP grew 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 worth $848,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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