Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Stock Rating Upgraded by Weiss Ratings

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) was upgraded by Weiss Ratings from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday,Weiss Ratings reports.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on SCL. Wall Street Zen lowered Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Stepan from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Stepan has an average rating of “Hold”.

Stepan Stock Performance

NYSE SCL opened at $46.18 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.18 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a 50 day moving average of $48.39 and a 200-day moving average of $51.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Stepan has a 1-year low of $44.23 and a 1-year high of $82.08.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.40). Stepan had a net margin of 2.57% and a return on equity of 4.78%. The business had revenue of $594.69 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $598.25 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.41 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Stepan will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Stepan

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Stepan by 206.5% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Stepan by 45.4% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 589 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 184 shares during the period. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Stepan during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Stepan by 231.4% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 865 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 604 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Stepan during the 1st quarter worth about $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

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.