Stepan Company Corporate Bonds and Leverage Analysis

SCL Stock  USD 76.09  0.07  0.09%   
Stepan Company holds a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.499. At this time, Stepan's Debt To Equity is quite stable compared to the past year. Interest Debt Per Share is expected to rise to 30.89 this year, although the value of Long Term Debt will most likely fall to about 211.6 M. . Stepan's financial risk is the risk to Stepan stockholders that is caused by an increase in debt.

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

Stepan's liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. Stepan's cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Company is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps Stepan Stock's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect Stepan's stakeholders.
For most companies, including Stepan, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for Stepan Company, the most critical issue when managing liquidity is ensuring that current assets are properly aligned with current liabilities. If they are not, Stepan's management will need to obtain alternative financing to ensure there are always enough cash equivalents on the balance sheet to meet obligations.
Price Book
1.4024
Book Value
54.207
Operating Margin
0.0445
Profit Margin
0.021
Return On Assets
0.0188
At this time, Stepan's Total Current Liabilities is quite stable compared to the past year. Liabilities And Stockholders Equity is expected to rise to about 2.5 B this year, although the value of Non Current Liabilities Other will most likely fall to about 20.1 M.
  
Check out the analysis of Stepan Fundamentals Over Time.
View Bond Profile
Given the importance of Stepan's capital structure, the first step in the capital decision process is for the management of Stepan to decide how much external capital it will need to raise to operate in a sustainable way. Once the amount of financing is determined, management needs to examine the financial markets to determine the terms in which the company can boost capital. This move is crucial to the process because the market environment may reduce the ability of Stepan Company to issue bonds at a reasonable cost.

Stepan Company Debt to Cash Allocation

Many companies such as Stepan, eventually find out that there is only so much market out there to be conquered, and adding the next product or service is only half as profitable per unit as their current endeavors. Eventually, the company will reach a point where cash flows are strong, and extra cash is available but not fully utilized. In this case, the company may start buying back its stock from the public or issue more dividends.
Stepan Company has 712.17 M in debt with debt to equity (D/E) ratio of 0.5, which is OK given its current industry classification. Stepan Company has a current ratio of 1.74, which is typical for the industry and considered as normal. Note however, debt could still be an excellent tool for Stepan to invest in growth at high rates of return.

Stepan Total Assets Over Time

Stepan Assets Financed by Debt

The debt-to-assets ratio shows the degree to which Stepan uses debt to finance its assets. It includes both long-term and short-term borrowings maturing within one year. It also includes both tangible and intangible assets, such as goodwill.

Stepan Debt Ratio

    
  28.0   
It seems most of the Stepan's assets are financed through equity. Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the Stepan's operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of Stepan, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility.

Stepan Corporate Bonds Issued

Stepan issues bonds to finance its operations. Corporate bonds make up one of the most significant components of the U.S. bond market and are considered the world's largest securities market. Stepan Company uses the proceeds from bond sales for a wide variety of purposes, including financing ongoing mergers and acquisitions, buying new equipment, investing in research and development, buying back their own stock, paying dividends to shareholders, and even refinancing existing debt.

Stepan Short Long Term Debt Total

Short Long Term Debt Total

747.78 Million

At this time, Stepan's Short and Long Term Debt Total is quite stable compared to the past year.

Understaning Stepan Use of Financial Leverage

Leverage ratios show Stepan's total debt position, including all outstanding obligations. In simple terms, high financial leverage means that the cost of production, along with the day-to-day running of the business, is high. Conversely, lower financial leverage implies lower fixed cost investment in the business, which is generally considered a good sign by investors. The degree of Stepan's financial leverage can be measured in several ways, including ratios such as the debt-to-equity ratio (total debt / total equity), or the debt ratio (total debt / total assets).
Last ReportedProjected for Next Year
Short and Long Term Debt Total712.2 M747.8 M
Net Debt582.3 M611.5 M
Short Term Debt252.9 M265.5 M
Long Term Debt401.2 M211.6 M
Long Term Debt Total523.3 M279 M
Short and Long Term Debt252.9 M265.5 M
Net Debt To EBITDA 3.43  3.60 
Debt To Equity 0.54  0.73 
Interest Debt Per Share 29.42  30.89 
Debt To Assets 0.28  0.28 
Long Term Debt To Capitalization 0.25  0.40 
Total Debt To Capitalization 0.35  0.43 
Debt Equity Ratio 0.54  0.73 
Debt Ratio 0.28  0.28 
Cash Flow To Debt Ratio 0.27  0.40 
Please read more on our technical analysis page.

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When determining whether Stepan Company is a strong investment it is important to analyze Stepan's competitive position within its industry, examining market share, product or service uniqueness, and competitive advantages. Beyond financials and market position, potential investors should also consider broader economic conditions, industry trends, and any regulatory or geopolitical factors that may impact Stepan's future performance. For an informed investment choice regarding Stepan Stock, refer to the following important reports:
Check out the analysis of Stepan Fundamentals Over Time.
You can also try the Technical Analysis module to check basic technical indicators and analysis based on most latest market data.
Is Specialty Chemicals space expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of Stepan. If investors know Stepan will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about Stepan listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth
0.873
Dividend Share
1.5
Earnings Share
2
Revenue Per Share
95.823
Quarterly Revenue Growth
(0.03)
The market value of Stepan Company is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of Stepan that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of Stepan's value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is Stepan's true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because Stepan's market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect Stepan's underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between Stepan's value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if Stepan is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, Stepan's price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.

What is Financial Leverage?

Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the debt provider will limit how much risk it is ready to take and indicate a limit on the extent of the leverage it will allow. In the case of asset-backed lending, the financial provider uses the assets as collateral until the borrower repays the loan. In the case of a cash flow loan, the general creditworthiness of the company is used to back the loan. The concept of leverage is common in the business world. It is mostly used to boost the returns on equity capital of a company, especially when the business is unable to increase its operating efficiency and returns on total investment. Because earnings on borrowing are higher than the interest payable on debt, the company's total earnings will increase, ultimately boosting stockholders' profits.

Leverage and Capital Costs

The debt to equity ratio plays a role in the working average cost of capital (WACC). The overall interest on debt represents the break-even point that must be obtained to profitability in a given venture. Thus, WACC is essentially the average interest an organization owes on the capital it has borrowed for leverage. Let's say equity represents 60% of borrowed capital, and debt is 40%. This results in a financial leverage calculation of 40/60, or 0.6667. The organization owes 10% on all equity and 5% on all debt. That means that the weighted average cost of capital is (.4)(5) + (.6)(10) - or 8%. For every $10,000 borrowed, this organization will owe $800 in interest. Profit must be higher than 8% on the project to offset the cost of interest and justify this leverage.

Benefits of Financial Leverage

Leverage provides the following benefits for companies:
  • Leverage is an essential tool a company's management can use to make the best financing and investment decisions.
  • It provides a variety of financing sources by which the firm can achieve its target earnings.
  • Leverage is also an essential technique in investing as it helps companies set a threshold for the expansion of business operations. For example, it can be used to recommend restrictions on business expansion once the projected return on additional investment is lower than the cost of debt.
By borrowing funds, the firm incurs a debt that must be paid. But, this debt is paid in small installments over a relatively long period of time. This frees funds for more immediate use in the stock market. For example, suppose a company can afford a new factory but will be left with negligible free cash. In that case, it may be better to finance the factory and spend the cash on hand on inputs, labor, or even hold a significant portion as a reserve against unforeseen circumstances.

The Risk of Financial Leverage

The most obvious and apparent risk of leverage is that if price changes unexpectedly, the leveraged position can lead to severe losses. For example, imagine a hedge fund seeded by $50 worth of investor money. The hedge fund borrows another $50 and buys an asset worth $100, leading to a leverage ratio of 2:1. For the investor, this is neither good nor bad -- until the asset price changes. If the asset price goes up 10 percent, the investor earns $10 on $50 of capital, a net gain of 20 percent, and is very pleased with the increased gains from the leverage. However, if the asset price crashes unexpectedly, say by 30 percent, the investor loses $30 on $50 of capital, suffering a 60 percent loss. In other words, the effect of leverage is to increase the volatility of returns and increase the effects of a price change on the asset to the bottom line while increasing the chance for profit as well.