SCL — Stock Film
STOCK FILMSCENE 1/11SCL · $61.57
Stock Expert AI presents
SCL
Stepan Co
~5 min film100% real numbersplain English
WHAT DOES THIS COMPANY DO?
Stepan Co. What it actually does.

Produces surfactants for consumer and industrial cleaning products. Manufactures polymers for rigid foam insulation and CASE applications. Now — the numbers.

on the stock market since 1973
2,328 employees
$1.4B market value
WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?
71%Surfactants
SurfactantsPolymers 25%Specialty Products 4%
71% of all revenue comes from a single line: Surfactants.

That much dependence is a risk in itself: if this one line weakens, the whole company feels it directly.

Revenue last year:
$2.3B
The net profit left over:
$46.9M
Out of every $100 in sales, $2 stays as net profit.
THE SLICE THAT TURNS INTO PROFIT: 2%

This is an established company with proven profits.

Cash on hand:
$132.7M
Total debt:
$691M
The debt outweighs the cash.

The gap is $558.4M. In times of high interest rates, a gap like that can squeeze a company.

THE PRICE TAG
MARKET VALUE / ANNUAL PROFIT
29.8×

The market pays 29.8× for every dollar of annual profit — around what a business like this usually costs.

Against companies in its own sector, it looks cheaper than 69% of them.

Analysts' average target sits 38% above today's price.

INSIDE THE REPORT CARD

We compared this company with its own sector across five subjects.

A score of 50 means class average.

BUSINESS QUALITY
37
weak

Clearly below the class average.

FINANCIAL STRENGTH
36
weak

Clearly below the class average.

VALUATION
69
strong

Clearly above the class average — a step short of the very top.

GROWTH
29
very weak

Clearly below the class average.

PRICE MOMENTUM
82
very strong

The stock has been running stronger than the market lately.

WORTH WATCHING

Growth: Sales growth trails the sector average.

Financial Strength: The cash-and-debt balance is thin; the buffer for hard times is slim.

THE FIVE-YEAR JOURNEY
Below the peak, but no collapse.

The stock trades 52% below its peak. The market has trimmed its expectations for the company.

1
THE BRIGHT SIDE · 1/2
Executives are buying their own stock

Over the last 12 months, company executives reported 65 buys and 34 sells. Management buying with its own money is usually read as a good sign.

2
THE BRIGHT SIDE · 2/2
Pays a steady dividend

It pays out $1.58 per share each year — regular cash for whoever holds the stock.

1
THE RISKS · 1/3
Sales are shrinking

Over the last 4 years, sales fell about 0% a year on average. Profit is holding up, but a shrinking business is a risk worth watching.

2
THE RISKS · 2/3
Growth trails the sector

The growth engine is running at low revs right now. Report-card grade: 29/100.

3
THE RISKS · 3/3
A thin financial cushion

The balance sheet offers little cushion against a rough stretch. Report-card grade: 36/100.

FINALE · THE GRADE
grade pending

We don’t have a report card for this stock yet — the data isn’t mature enough to grade. No grade is information too: it means the evidence is thin.

One-line summary: few numbers, an untested story. Keep watching.

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This was a film — not investment advice.
Data: FMP & company filings
Sep 11, 2026 · stockexpertai.com · Stock Film