Stepan hikes dividend by 9%
On October 18, 2022, the Board of Directors of Stepan Company approved an increase of $0.030 per share, or 9.0%, on its quarterly cash dividend on its common stock. The dividend of $0.365 per share is payable on December 15, 2022, to common stockholders of record on November 30, 2022. The increase marks the 55th consecutive year in which the quarterly dividend rate on the Company's common stock has increased.
Stepan Company and its subsidiaries produce specialty and intermediate chemicals, which are sold to other manufacturers and used in a variety of end products. The company has three reportable segments: Surfactants, Polymers and Specialty Products. Surfactants are the basic cleaning agent in detergents for washing clothes, dishes, carpets, fine fabrics, floors and walls and are also used in personal care products and commercial and industrial applications. Polymers are used in the manufacture of construction materials, coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE) applications. Specialty Products are chemicals used in food, flavoring, nutritional supplement and pharmaceutical applications. Stepan, headquartered in Northfield, Illinois, operates production facilities located in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Stepan went public in 1961.