Semanteon Capital Management LP Purchases Shares of 15,473 Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Semanteon Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Stepan (NYSE:SCL) during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 15,473 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,195,000. Stepan accounts for 0.8% of Semanteon Capital Management LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Quest Partners LLC raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 458 shares during the period. Copeland Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Stepan in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Stepan in the 2nd quarter valued at $59,000. Adirondack Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 60.0% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Stepan during the 2nd quarter worth $123,000. 82.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Stepan Stock Up 1.2 %

NYSE:SCL traded up $0.87 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $73.47. The stock had a trading volume of 692 shares, compared to its average volume of 91,089. The company has a market cap of $1.65 billion, a PE ratio of 47.45 and a beta of 0.80. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $75.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $81.06. Stepan has a 1-year low of $69.78 and a 1-year high of $96.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.41 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $581.30 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.53 earnings per share. Stepan’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Stepan will post 2.09 EPS for the current year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were paid a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.04%. Stepan’s dividend payout ratio is presently 98.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP David Kabbes acquired 1,056 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $71.39 per share, with a total value of $75,387.84. Following the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 1,056 shares in the company, valued at approximately $75,387.84. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 7.00% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.