Semanteon Capital Management LP Lowers Stock Position in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Semanteon Capital Management LP lessened its holdings in Stepan (NYSE:SCL) by 5.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 14,689 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 784 shares during the period. Semanteon Capital Management LP’s holdings in Stepan were worth $950,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Stepan by 110.6% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the period. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in Stepan by 43.9% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 934 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Stepan in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $161,000. Point72 DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Stepan in the 3rd quarter worth about $168,000. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Stepan in the 3rd quarter valued at about $170,000. Institutional investors own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Stepan

In related news, Director Susan Lewis bought 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $63.53 per share, with a total value of $31,765.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,896 shares in the company, valued at approximately $120,452.88. This trade represents a 35.82 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 6.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Stepan Stock Up 0.5 %

SCL opened at $58.91 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.66 and a beta of 0.82. Stepan has a 12 month low of $56.50 and a 12 month high of $94.77. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $61.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.33). The business had revenue of $525.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $520.97 million. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.21% and a net margin of 2.31%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.33 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Stepan will post 3.55 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.385 dividend. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th.

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.