Numerai GP LLC Boosts Holdings in Stepan Company $SCL

Numerai GP LLC increased its position in Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL) by 67.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 64,721 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,136 shares during the period. Numerai GP LLC’s holdings in Stepan were worth $3,087,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Stepan by 206.5% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Stepan during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Stepan in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $100,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in Stepan by 34.1% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,703 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $129,000 after acquiring an additional 688 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new position in Stepan in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $207,000. 82.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stepan Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:SCL opened at $46.94 on Tuesday. Stepan Company has a one year low of $41.82 and a one year high of $68.00. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $55.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $49.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.90 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 0.84.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.37). Stepan had a return on equity of 3.38% and a net margin of 2.01%.The firm had revenue of $553.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $570.60 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.12 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Stepan Company will post 3.55 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were given a dividend of $0.395 per share. This represents a $1.58 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.07%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on SCL shares. Zacks Research lowered Stepan from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Stepan from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat, Stepan currently has an average rating of “Sell”.

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.