Stepan (SCL) Scheduled to Post Earnings on Wednesday

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) is scheduled to be posting its quarterly earnings results before the market opens on Wednesday, October 30th. Analysts expect Stepan to post earnings of $0.65 per share for the quarter. Parties that are interested in participating in the company’s conference call can do so using this link.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by ($0.26). Stepan had a return on equity of 3.83% and a net margin of 1.58%. The company had revenue of $556.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $581.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.53 earnings per share. Stepan’s revenue was down 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect Stepan to post $2 EPS for the current fiscal year and $4 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Stepan Stock Down 1.7 %

Stepan stock opened at $72.34 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.28 and a beta of 0.80. Stepan has a 52-week low of $69.78 and a 52-week high of $96.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.32. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $75.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $81.46.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th were paid a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is presently 98.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com cut Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 28th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP David Kabbes acquired 1,056 shares of Stepan stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $71.39 per share, with a total value of $75,387.84. Following the completion of the purchase, the vice president now owns 1,056 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $75,387.84. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 6.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.