Stocktoria
STEPAN CO SCL
STEPAN CO (SCL) earns a Piotroski F-score of 7/9 (strong financial health), with an Altman Z″ in the safe zone. It pays a dividend yielding 2.77% (safety: stretched). FY2025 revenue was $2.3B at a 2.0% net margin.
Quality score trend · recomputed for each fiscal year
Each year's score is computed from that year's filing — a rising Piotroski F or Altman Z″ means improving financial health, a fall is worth a look.
Beneish M-score: -2.68 — low (below −2.22 — no manipulation red flag) . A statistical screen for earnings manipulation, not proof — and it doesn't apply to most banks/insurers.
Analyst price target
Wall Street analyst consensus — a sentiment gauge, not our scoring.
How it ranks in Manufacturing · percentile among 1957 companies
Percentile vs other Manufacturing companies we cover — e.g. “stronger than 90%” means only 10% score higher on that measure.
Piotroski F breakdown · 7/9 tests passed
- Positive return on assets
- Positive operating cash flow
- Rising ROA
- Cash flow exceeds net income
- Lower long-term debt
- Rising current ratio
- No share dilution
- Rising gross margin
- Rising asset turnover
Altman Z″ components · safe zone
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Working capital / assets | 0.082 |
| Retained earnings / assets | 0.545 |
| EBIT / assets | 0.033 |
| Equity / liabilities | 1.117 |
Sector peers · similar-size Manufacturing companies compare side by side →
| Ticker | Company | Piotroski F | Altman Z″ | P / E | Revenue growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCL | STEPAN CO | 7/9 | 3.71 | 27 | +7% |
| WNW | Meiwu Technology Co Ltd | 4/9 | — | — | — |
| BYAH | Park Ha Biological Technology Co., Ltd. | 5/9 | — | — | — |
| CHD | CHURCH & DWIGHT CO INC /DE/ | 7/9 | 4.22 | 32 | +1.6% |
| ECL | ECOLAB INC. | 4/9 | 3.24 | 38.5 | +2.2% |
| PG | PROCTER & GAMBLE Co | 6/9 | 4.67 | 21.6 | +3.3% |
| VFS | VinFast Auto Ltd. | 4/9 | -13.01 | — | +57.9% |
About STEPAN CO
Stepan Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells specialty and intermediate chemicals to other manufacturers for use in various end products in the United States, France, Poland, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, and internationally. 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, lubricating ingredients; emulsifiers for spreading agricultural products; and industrial applications comprising latex systems, plastics, and composites. The Polymers segment provides polyurethane polyols that are used in the manufacture of rigid foam for thermal insulation in the construction industry, as well as a base raw material for coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers (CASE); polyester resins used in coating applications; specialty polyols, such as CASE and powdered polyester resins; and phthalic anhydride that is used in unsaturated polyester resins, alkyd resins, and plasticizers for applications in construction materials, as well as components of automotive, boating, and other consumer products. The Specialty Products segment offers flavors, emulsifiers, and solubilizers for use in food, flavoring, nutritional supplement, and pharmaceutical applications. Stepan Company was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois.
FAQ
Is SCL financially healthy?
STEPAN CO's Piotroski F-score is 7/9 (8–9 is excellent, 0–3 weak), and its Altman Z″ distress score is in the safe zone.
Does SCL pay a dividend, and is it safe?
Yes. STEPAN CO pays a dividend yielding about 2.77% with a 74.7% payout ratio, rated “stretched” for safety.
How profitable is SCL?
In FY2025, STEPAN CO had a net margin of 2.0% and a return on equity of 3.8%.
Is SCL overvalued or undervalued?
STEPAN CO trades at about 31.7× trailing earnings — above its 10-year norm (10-year range 17.2×–51.0×, median 20.9×). Stocktoria reports the data, not buy/sell advice.
What is the analyst price target for SCL?
The average Wall-Street price target for STEPAN CO is $75.00, about 15.5% above the recent price, from 1 analysts.
Is SCL a good stock to buy?
Stocktoria doesn't give buy or sell advice, but here is the data on STEPAN CO: a Piotroski F-score of 7/9, an Altman Z″ in the safe zone, a P/E of about 27.0×, a dividend yield of 2.77%. Weigh these quality and valuation signals against your own goals.
Computed from company filings · US · as of 2025-12-31. Facts plus Stocktoria's own computed scores — not investment advice.