Stepan (NYSE:SCL) Hits New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

Shares of Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $64.92 and last traded at $64.94, with a volume of 34773 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $63.11.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SCL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Stepan in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Stepan from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Stepan currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Stepan Stock Up 2.4%

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $51.08 and its 200-day moving average is $48.81. The stock has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.65 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stepan

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Stepan by 86.9% in the fourth quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 570 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 206.5% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 351 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its stake in Stepan by 7.7% during the second quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 5,449 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $297,000 after buying an additional 389 shares in the last quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. grew its holdings in Stepan by 10.6% during the third quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 5,447 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $260,000 after acquiring an additional 524 shares during the period. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its position in Stepan by 6.6% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 8,936 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $488,000 after acquiring an additional 553 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

About Stepan

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.