Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Hold

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday.

Stepan Trading Up 2.3 %

NYSE:SCL traded up $1.41 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $63.94. 113,269 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 124,893. Stepan has a 52-week low of $59.55 and a 52-week high of $94.76. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $64.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $71.39. The firm has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.81 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.86.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by ($0.33). The firm had revenue of $525.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $520.97 million. Stepan had a net margin of 2.10% and a return on equity of 4.56%. Stepan’s revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.33 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Stepan will post 2.43 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stepan

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Stepan by 110.6% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Stepan by 781.4% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 617 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 547 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Stepan by 43.9% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 934 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Stepan in the third quarter valued at $161,000. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Stepan during the 3rd quarter valued at $168,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

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.