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Stepan Company (SCL) Stock Analysis

SellVALUE-TRAP 1/5Moderate Confidence

Basic Materials · Specialty Chemicals

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $49.01: Quality below floor (2.3 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.7/10 and A.R:R 5.0:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 4.33; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum.

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... Read more

$49.01+30.0% A.UpsideScore 4.7/10#27 of 36 Specialty Chemicals
Stop $46.88Target $63.75(analyst − 15%)A.R:R 5.0:1
Analyst target$75.00+53.0%1 analysts
Range unavailable (1 analysts)

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $49.01: Quality below floor (2.3 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.7/10 and A.R:R 5.0:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 4.33; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum. Chart setup: No recognized chart pattern (not a breakout, bounce, continuation, recovery, falling knife, or range) — technicals mixed. Score 4.7/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 5/6 gates (favorable risk/reward ratio, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, earnings proximity 89d clear, semi cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum. Suitability: aggressive.

Thesis

Rewards
No bull case signals
Risks
Quality below floor (2.3 < 4.0)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)
P/E (Fwd)11.8
Mkt Cap$1.1B
EV/EBITDA8.8
Profit Mgn-0.6%
ROE-1.2%
Rev Growth1.9%
Beta1.01
Dividend3.23%
Rating analysts5

Quality Signals

Piotroski F6/9

Options Flow

P/C4.33bearish
IV71%elevated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

3 floor-breakers·1 ceiling hit

Price action weak — below key moving averages, no momentum carry. Needs a base before trend-continuation setups apply.static

Macd
0.0
Volume
0.0
Obv
1.0
Ma Position
1.0
Rsi
3.5
Volume distribution (falling OBV)Below 200-MA, MA slope -1.4%/30d — confirmed downtrend

Cyclical trough — margins compressed or negative. Profitability typically recovers with the cycle, but floor fires on current data.static

Roe
0.0
Gross Margin
0.0
Net Margin
0.0
Roa
1.0
Operating Margin
1.0
Current Ratio
4.8
Moat
5.0
Piotroski F
6.7
No competitive moatQuality concerns

Growth below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Revenue Growth
3.0
Low model confidence on this dimension (33%).
GatesMomentum 1.1<4.5A.R:R 5.0 ≥ 1.5Insider activity: OKNo SEC red flagsEARNINGS PROXIMITY 89d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARSuitability: Aggressive
RSI
32 · Neutral
20D MA 50D MA 200D MAGOLDEN CROSSSupport $48.33Resistance $52.74

Price Targets

$47
$64
A.Upside+30.1%
A.R:R5.0:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Quality below floor (2.3 < 4.0)
! Momentum score 1.1/10 — below 4.5 minimum

Earnings

B
M
M
M
1/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-07-29 (89d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SCL stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $49.01: Quality below floor (2.3 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.7/10 and A.R:R 5.0:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 4.33; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum. Chart setup: No recognized chart pattern (not a breakout, bounce, continuation, recovery, falling knife, or range) — technicals mixed. Prior stop was $46.88. Score 4.7/10, moderate confidence.

What is the SCL stock price target?

Take-profit target: $63.75 (+30.0% upside). Prior stop was $46.88. Stop-loss: $46.88.

What are the risks of investing in SCL?

Quality below floor (2.3 < 4.0).

Is SCL overvalued or undervalued?

Stepan Company trades at a P/E of N/A (forward 11.8). TrendMatrix value score: 9.0/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about SCL?

5 analysts cover SCL with a consensus score of 4.0/5. Average price target: $75.

What does Stepan Company do?Stepan Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells specialty and intermediate chemicals to other...

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.

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