Signaturefd LLC Increases Stake in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL) by 645.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,103 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 955 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in Stepan were worth $104,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in Stepan by 2,141.7% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 269 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the period. Copeland Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 277.5% during the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 453 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the period. Adirondack Trust Co. purchased a new stake in Stepan in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new position in Stepan in the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in Stepan during the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

Stepan Stock Performance

Shares of SCL stock opened at $84.53 on Tuesday. Stepan has a 52-week low of $63.60 and a 52-week high of $100.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market cap of $1.90 billion, a PE ratio of 48.30 and a beta of 0.83. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $87.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of $86.00.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 20th. The basic materials company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $532.13 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $534.48 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.20% and a net margin of 1.73%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.59 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Stepan will post 2.52 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st were issued a $0.375 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.77%. Stepan’s payout ratio is 85.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Stepan from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 26th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 3,637 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total transaction of $327,730.07. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 255,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,029,142.37. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Stepan news, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 3,637 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total transaction of $327,730.07. Following the transaction, the director now owns 255,567 shares in the company, valued at $23,029,142.37. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director F Quinn Stepan, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.07, for a total value of $455,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 255,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,274,486.69. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 10,637 shares of company stock worth $957,940. Company insiders own 7.00% 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.