Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Raised to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen
by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat GemStepan (NYSE:SCL – Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Saturday.
Several other research firms also recently weighed in on SCL. Weiss Ratings upgraded Stepan from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Stepan from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Stepan in a research note on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Stepan currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on SCL
Stepan Trading Down 0.0%
Shares of SCL opened at $65.14 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $56.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $54.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization of $1.48 billion, a PE ratio of -542.86 and a beta of 0.94. Stepan has a fifty-two week low of $41.82 and a fifty-two week high of $68.00.
Stepan (NYSE:SCL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.57. The business had revenue of $684.11 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $635.85 million. Stepan had a positive return on equity of 3.90% and a negative net margin of 0.11%.The business’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.52 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Stepan will post 2.43 EPS for the current year.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stepan
A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Stepan by 206.5% in the 2nd 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. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in Stepan by 86.9% during the 4th quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 570 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Stepan by 700.0% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 688 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Stepan in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in Stepan during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.