Copeland Capital Management LLC Invests $48,000 in Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Copeland Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Stepan (NYSE:SCL) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 616 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quest Partners LLC increased its stake in Stepan by 3,053.3% in 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 during the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Stepan during the second quarter valued at about $59,000. Adirondack Trust Co. grew its position in Stepan by 60.0% during the second 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. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Stepan during the second quarter valued at about $123,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Stepan during the second quarter valued at about $129,000. 82.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stepan Trading Down 1.7 %

Shares of SCL opened at $72.34 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $75.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $81.46. Stepan has a one year low of $69.78 and a one year high of $96.68. The company has a market capitalization of $1.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.28 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.32.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.26). Stepan had a net margin of 1.58% and a return on equity of 3.83%. The firm had revenue of $556.41 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $581.30 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.53 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Stepan will post 2.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were given a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Stepan’s payout ratio is 98.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 28th.

Insider Transactions at Stepan

In related news, VP David Kabbes purchased 1,056 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $71.39 per share, for a total transaction of $75,387.84. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,056 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $75,387.84. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 6.90% of the company’s stock.

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.