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Stepan CoSCL +1.62%79 Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.58 as of Mar. 2026, which is 129% above its 10-year median of 1.56. GuruFocus rates SCL with a GF Score™ of 79/100 and a GF Value™ of $70.96 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,234 Chemicals companies, Stepan Co ranks worse than 64.42% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Stepan Co's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
SCL'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.96 Med: 1.56 Max: 4.2
Current: 3.44
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Stepan Co was 4.20. The lowest was 0.96. And the median was 1.56.
SCL's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 64.42% of 1234
companies
in the Chemicals industry
Industry Median: 2.16
vs SCL: 3.44
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Stepan Co Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Stepan Co Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Stepan Co's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, Stepan Co's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Stepan Co Debt-to-EBITDA vs Chemicals Industry
For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, Stepan Co's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Stepan Co's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Stepan Co (SCL) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.58 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Stepan Co. This is 129% above median its historical median of 1.56. Over the past decade, Stepan Co's Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 0.96 to 4.20. According to the industry distribution chart, Stepan Co ranks #795 out of 1234 companies in the Chemicals industry, placing it in the top 64.4%.
Is Stepan Co's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Stepan Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.58 is 129% above median its 10-year median of 1.56. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.96 to a high of 4.20. The Chemicals industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.16. Stepan Co's value of 3.58 is 65.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Stepan Co ranks #795 out of 1234 companies in the Chemicals industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Stepan Co has a GF Score™ of 79/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Stepan Co's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to LWLG and ECVT?
According to the Chemicals industry distribution chart, Stepan Co ranks #795 out of 1234 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Stepan Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.16. Stepan Co's value of 3.58 is 65.7% above this benchmark. Historically, Stepan Co's own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 0.96 to 4.20 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.56 vs. the industry median of 2.16, Stepan Co has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Chemicals company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Chemicals companies is 2.16, based on 1,234 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Stepan Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.58 is 65.7% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Stepan Co. For the Chemicals industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.16 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Stepan Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.58, which is 129% above median its own 10-year median of 1.56. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Stepan Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Stepan Co (SCL) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $70.96, compared to a current price of $59.59 — trading 16% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.58, which is 129% above median its 10-year median of 1.56 and 65.7% above the Chemicals industry median of 2.16. Stepan Co's overall GF Score™ is 79/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Stepan Co (SCL), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.58 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Stepan Co (SCL) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Stepan Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $59.59 is trading 16% below its estimated GF Value™ of $70.96.
GuruFocus considers Stepan Co to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for SCL:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 3.58 (129% above median its 10-year median of 1.56)
GF Value™: $70.96 vs. price of $59.59 (16% below fair value)
Industry Position: 65.7% above the Chemicals median (#795 of 1234)
No single metric tells the full story. See the SCL stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Stepan Co manufactures and sells a variety of chemicals and chemical-based products. The company organizes itself into three segments based on product type. The surfactants segment, which generates the majority of revenue, sells cleaning agents used in detergents, shampoos, body wash, fabric softeners, toothpastes, and other personal-care products. The polymers segment sells polyurethane used to manufacture rigid foam for thermal insulation, as well as phthalic anhydride used to make plastic components for the construction, automotive, and boating industries. The specialty products segment sells chemicals used in food and flavoring. The majority of Stepan's revenue comes from the United States, followed by France, Poland, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, and other countries.
79GF Score
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