Algert Global LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Stepan Company $SCL

Algert Global LLC increased its stake in Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL) by 209.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 160,874 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 108,826 shares during the quarter. Algert Global LLC owned approximately 0.71% of Stepan worth $7,674,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Stepan during the second quarter worth about $5,573,000. UBS Group AG lifted its stake in Stepan by 338.9% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 125,004 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,963,000 after buying an additional 96,526 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Stepan by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,599,083 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $76,276,000 after buying an additional 91,746 shares during the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. increased its stake in Stepan by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 1,336,855 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $72,966,000 after buying an additional 83,941 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CenterBook Partners LP increased its stake in Stepan by 469.7% during the 2nd quarter. CenterBook Partners LP now owns 98,298 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,365,000 after buying an additional 81,045 shares in the last quarter. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stepan Price Performance

NYSE:SCL opened at $46.94 on Tuesday. Stepan Company has a one year low of $41.82 and a one year high of $68.00. The stock has a market cap of $1.06 billion, a PE ratio of 22.90 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.29. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $55.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.63.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.37). Stepan had a return on equity of 3.38% and a net margin of 2.01%.The company had revenue of $553.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $570.60 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.12 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Stepan Company will post 3.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were issued a $0.395 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $1.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is currently 77.07%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on SCL. Weiss Ratings downgraded Stepan from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Stepan from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

Stepan Company Profile

Stepan Company is a global manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals, primarily known for its development and production of surfactants and related specialty products. The company’s portfolio includes a wide range of ingredients used to enhance the performance of consumer and industrial formulations, such as emulsifiers, foam control agents, odor control agents, antimicrobial products and performance additives. These products are integral components in cleaning solutions, personal care items, agrochemical formulations, coatings, oilfield treatments and polymer systems.

Serving a diverse set of end-markets, Stepan’s offerings address both consumer-facing and industrial applications.