Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Friday morning.

Stepan Price Performance

NYSE:SCL opened at $61.08 on Friday. Stepan has a 52-week low of $59.70 and a 52-week high of $94.76. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.39 and a beta of 0.84. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $66.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $72.69.

Institutional Trading of Stepan

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SCL. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Stepan by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 11,920 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,001,000 after acquiring an additional 541 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning raised its position in shares of Stepan by 13.9% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 9,346 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $785,000 after purchasing an additional 1,138 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 189.8% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 9,735 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $752,000 after purchasing an additional 6,376 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its position in shares of Stepan by 14.4% in the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 4,765 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC increased its stake in Stepan by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 10,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $811,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.