Stepan Co (SCL) Stock Forecast Oct. 16, 2026
Analysis updated on Oct. 16, 2026 (UTC) · Alpha · vs marketSwitch to Total · NYSE
Stepan Co (SCL) stock forecast summary
On Oct. 16, 2026, SCL is rated Neutral: its 90-day Alpha forecast sits in the middle 30% of the 5171 stocks scored that day.
Stepan Co is a small-cap company with a market capitalization of $1.41B. It ranks number 5 by market capitalization among the 6 Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics issuers in our coverage with a current forecast.
For SCL, the Spearman rank correlation between our 90-day forecasts and the returns that followed is 53.0%, measured on 357 forecast dates between 2022-07-29 and 2026-07-17 on this stock's own recent history. A rank correlation runs from -100% to +100%: it measures whether higher forecasts were followed by higher returns, and a value near zero or below means the model has shown little skill on this stock. On the 30-day forecasts the same correlation is 23.0%, measured on 400 forecast dates between 2022-07-29 and 2026-09-16. Across our coverage, the out-of-sample test on 4495 stocks from 2025-01-06 to 2026-07-07 produced a positive net return in 82.5% of rebalance periods (factor-neutral book, net of estimated costs). Full backtest report
Expected return relative to the market over the horizon: a positive alpha means the model expects the stock to beat the market, whatever the market does. Ratings: strong buy ≥ +1.8%, buy ≥ +0.2%, sell < -0.9%, strong sell < -1.2% (top 15%, next 20%, middle 30%, next 20%, bottom 15% of the 2026-10-16 signals)
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How SCL ranks among 5171 stocks
90D Alpha forecasts of every company scored, cut into five relative ratings at the 15th, 35th, 65th and 85th percentiles (dashed lines).
Stepan Co (SCL) fundamentals
Trailing twelve months. The industry median and the rank (1 = highest) are taken over the Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics peers listed below that report each metric.
Valuation & Market
| Metric | SCL | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $1.41B | 5/6 |
| P/E Ratio | 83.83x | 1/5 |
| P/B Ratio | 1.16x | – |
| Dividend Yield | 2.52% | – |
| EPS | $0.74 | – |
| Book Value/Share | $53.32 | – |
| Revenue/Share | $107.02 | – |
| FCF/Share | $1.61 | – |
Profitability & Margins
| Metric | SCL | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| ROIC | 1.3% | 5/5 |
| Gross Margin | 11.8% | 5/6 |
| Operating Margin | 0.8% | 5/6 |
| EBT Margin | -0.0% | 5/6 |
| Tax Rate | -445.7% | – |
The effective tax rate is outside the normal band, which points to a large non-recurring tax item in the trailing twelve months; headline net income, net margin and P/E are affected by it.
Financial Health
| Metric | SCL | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 1.15x | 2/5 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.77x | 2/5 |
| D/E Ratio | 0.97x | 5/5 |
| Financial Leverage | 1.97x | 5/5 |
| Interest Coverage | 4.5x | 4/5 |
| Working Capital | $128M | 3/5 |
Cash Flow
| Metric | SCL | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $155M | 5/6 |
| Free Cash Flow | $37M | – |
| Capital Spending | -$118M | – |
| OCF Growth YoY | 42.1% | – |
| FCF/Sales | 1.5% | – |
| CapEx/Sales | 4.9% | – |
Operational Efficiency
| Metric | SCL | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Turnover | 1.02x | 3/6 |
| Receivables Turnover | 4.9x | 4/5 |
| Inventory Turnover | 6.6x | 2/5 |
| Fixed Assets Turnover | 2.1x | 5/5 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | 74 days | 2/5 |
| Days Inventory | 55 days | 4/5 |
| Payables Period | 55 days | 4/5 |
| Cash Conversion Cycle | 74 days | 1/5 |
Income Statement
| Metric | SCL | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $2.43B | 5/6 |
| Operating Income | $20M | 5/6 |
| SG&A Expense | $154M | 5/5 |
| Cost of Goods Sold | $2.15B | 5/6 |
Dividend & Shareholder Information
| Metric | SCL | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Dividends Per Share | $1.57 | – |
| Payout Ratio | 212.2% | – |
| Shares Outstanding | 23M | – |
| EPS Growth | -67.5% | 5/5 |
Balance Sheet Highlights (USD millions)
| Total Current Assets | $975M | 40.7% of assets |
| Cash & Short-term Investments | $114M | 4.8% of assets |
| Accounts Receivable | $492M | 20.6% of assets |
| Inventory | $324M | 13.6% of assets |
| Total Liabilities | $1.18B | 49.3% of assets |
| Short-term Debt | $525M | 22.0% of assets |
SCL quarterly financials and insider trading
Stepan Co (SCL) industry peers
Companies classified under the same SEC industry code as Stepan Co (Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics): 6 common-stock issuers with a forecast this week, one row per issuer, largest first. This is a classification match, not a curated list of competitors.
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Stepan Co (SCL) stock news
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Stepan Co (SCL) stock forecast FAQ
What is the Stepan Co (SCL) stock forecast?
On Oct. 16, 2026, SCL is rated Neutral: its 90-day Alpha forecast sits in the middle 30% of the 5171 stocks scored that day.
How accurate are Stepan Co stock predictions?
For SCL, the Spearman rank correlation between our 90-day forecasts and the returns that followed is 53.0%, measured on 357 forecast dates between 2022-07-29 and 2026-07-17 on this stock's own recent history. A rank correlation runs from -100% to +100%: it measures whether higher forecasts were followed by higher returns, and a value near zero or below means the model has shown little skill on this stock. On the 30-day forecasts the same correlation is 23.0%, measured on 400 forecast dates between 2022-07-29 and 2026-09-16. Across our coverage, the out-of-sample test on 4495 stocks from 2025-01-06 to 2026-07-07 produced a positive net return in 82.5% of rebalance periods (factor-neutral book, net of estimated costs). Full backtest report
How often are Stepan Co forecasts updated?
Stepan Co forecasts are refreshed on trading days as the daily model run completes. The forecast on this page was produced on Oct. 16, 2026.
Which companies are Stepan Co's industry peers?
6 issuers in our coverage, SCL included, share the SEC industry code Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics. The largest are: Procter & Gamble Co (PG), Unilever Plc (UL), Ecolab Inc. (ECL), Church & Dwight Co Inc /De/ (CHD), Longevity Health Holdings, Inc. (XAGE).
This analysis is generated automatically using our proprietary AI systems and should not be considered personalized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always conduct your own research and consider consulting a financial advisor before making investment decisions.