Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Shares Sold by Nisa Investment Advisors LLC

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC decreased its stake in shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL) by 2.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,310 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 231 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Stepan were worth $642,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Swedbank AB acquired a new position in shares of Stepan during the 1st quarter worth about $648,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Stepan by 36.3% in the 1st quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 70,376 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,337,000 after purchasing an additional 18,733 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in Stepan during the second quarter worth $679,000. Semanteon Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Stepan in the third quarter valued at $1,195,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Stepan by 5.9% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,878 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,250,000 after purchasing an additional 775 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

Stepan Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of Stepan stock opened at $72.83 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.23 and a beta of 0.81. Stepan has a fifty-two week low of $69.78 and a fifty-two week high of $96.68. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $75.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $80.70.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.38. The business had revenue of $546.84 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $577.23 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.56% and a net margin of 2.10%. The business’s revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.64 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Stepan will post 2.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a dividend of $0.385 per share. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.11%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. This is an increase from Stepan’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is 76.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Stepan from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP David Kabbes bought 1,056 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $71.39 per share, with a total value of $75,387.84. Following the purchase, the vice president now directly owns 1,056 shares in the company, valued at $75,387.84. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 6.90% of the company’s stock.

Stepan 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.