Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Sets New 52-Week High – What’s Next?

Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $64.92 and last traded at $64.94, with a volume of 34773 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $63.11.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SCL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Stepan in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Stepan from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Stepan Trading Up 2.4%

The firm has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.65 and a beta of 1.05. The business’s 50 day moving average is $51.08 and its 200-day moving average is $48.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. raised its position in shares of Stepan by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 900,377 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $42,642,000 after acquiring an additional 205,157 shares in the last quarter. Invenomic Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Stepan in the 3rd quarter worth about $8,620,000. Algert Global LLC lifted its position in shares of Stepan by 209.1% in the 3rd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 160,874 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $7,674,000 after buying an additional 108,826 shares during the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Stepan in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,573,000. Finally, UBS Group AG grew its position in shares of Stepan by 338.9% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 125,004 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,963,000 after buying an additional 96,526 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

About Stepan

Stepan Company is a global manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals, primarily known for its development and production of surfactants and related specialty products. The company’s portfolio includes a wide range of ingredients used to enhance the performance of consumer and industrial formulations, such as emulsifiers, foam control agents, odor control agents, antimicrobial products and performance additives. These products are integral components in cleaning solutions, personal care items, agrochemical formulations, coatings, oilfield treatments and polymer systems.

Serving a diverse set of end-markets, Stepan’s offerings address both consumer-facing and industrial applications.