Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Has $2.50 Million Stake in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL) by 82.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,398 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,673 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Stepan were worth $2,503,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Quest Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Stepan by 3,053.3% during the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 473 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 458 shares in the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Stepan during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in Stepan during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $59,000. Adirondack Trust Co. increased its position in Stepan by 60.0% in the 2nd quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 800 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its stake in shares of Stepan by 43.9% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 934 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

Stepan Trading Down 2.5 %

NYSE SCL opened at $75.87 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.71 billion, a PE ratio of 37.73 and a beta of 0.81. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $75.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $79.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Stepan has a 12 month low of $69.78 and a 12 month high of $96.68.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.38. Stepan had a return on equity of 4.56% and a net margin of 2.10%. The business had revenue of $546.84 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $577.23 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.64 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Stepan will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a dividend of $0.385 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.03%. This is a boost from Stepan’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is 76.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Stepan from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 17th.

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.