Hsbc Holdings PLC Grows Stock Position in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL) by 48.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,654 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 1,517 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC’s holdings in Stepan were worth $389,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of SCL. Quest Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Stepan by 3,053.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 473 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 458 shares in the last quarter. Clarity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Stepan in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in Stepan during the second quarter worth $59,000. Adirondack Trust Co. lifted its stake in Stepan by 60.0% during the second quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 800 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TFO Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Stepan by 93,200.0% during the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 933 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 932 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

Stepan Stock Performance

NYSE:SCL opened at $77.57 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 0.92. Stepan has a 12 month low of $63.60 and a 12 month high of $96.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.74 billion, a PE ratio of 46.69 and a beta of 0.80. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $76.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $82.74.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.26). Stepan had a net margin of 1.58% and a return on equity of 3.83%. The company had revenue of $556.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $581.30 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.53 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Stepan will post 2.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th were paid a $0.375 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.93%. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is presently 90.36%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Transactions at Stepan

In other Stepan news, VP David Kabbes bought 1,056 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $71.39 per share, for a total transaction 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 $75,387.84. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 6.90% of the company’s stock.

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.