Inceptionr LLC Invests $427,000 in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Inceptionr LLC bought a new position in shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 6,595 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $427,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Stepan by 110.6% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Stepan by 43.9% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 934 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 285 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Stepan during the third quarter valued at $161,000. Point72 DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Stepan during the third quarter valued at $168,000. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Stepan during the third quarter valued at $170,000. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stepan

In related news, Director Susan Lewis bought 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were bought at an average price of $63.53 per share, for a total transaction of $31,765.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $120,452.88. This trade represents a 35.82 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 6.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Stepan Stock Performance

Shares of Stepan stock opened at $58.92 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.66 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. Stepan has a 12 month low of $56.50 and a 12 month high of $94.76. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $62.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $70.40.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.33). Stepan had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 4.21%. The firm had revenue of $525.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $520.97 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.33 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Stepan will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.385 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $1.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.61%. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.68%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 20th.

Stepan Company 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.