Stepan CoSCL +0.33%79 Forward PE Ratio is 20.66 as of Jul. 09, 2026. GuruFocus rates SCL with a GF Score™ of 79/100 and a GF Value™ of $70.83 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 660 Chemicals companies, Stepan Co ranks worse than 56.21% on this metric.
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
Stepan Co Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
Stepan Co Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Stepan Co's Forward PE Ratio 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.
Stepan Co Forward PE Ratio Chart
Stepan Co Annual Data
Trend
2015-12
2016-12
2017-12
2018-12
2019-12
2020-12
2021-12
2022-12
2023-12
2024-12
2025-12
Forward PE Ratio
13.57
18.48
16.58
13.44
19.23
18.08
16.81
14.12
24.45
16.52
13.39
Stepan Co Quarterly Data
2015-12
2016-03
2016-06
2016-09
2016-12
2017-03
2017-06
2017-09
2017-12
2018-03
2018-06
2018-09
2018-12
2019-03
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2022-03
2022-06
2022-09
2022-12
2023-03
2023-06
2023-09
2023-12
2024-03
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
2026-03
Forward PE Ratio
13.57
12.87
15.82
16.34
18.48
17.27
18.98
15.41
16.58
16.08
16.50
15.90
13.44
16.84
18.66
16.50
19.23
17.99
17.86
15.80
18.08
20.49
18.25
15.48
16.81
15.53
15.65
12.50
14.12
18.38
20.12
14.62
24.45
33.33
30.12
17.83
16.52
17.38
17.42
11.79
13.39
17.52
SCL vs LWLG, ECVT, ODC: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, Stepan Co's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio 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 Forward PE Ratio vs Chemicals Industry
For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, Stepan Co's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Stepan Co's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
Stepan Co (SCL) has a Forward PE Ratio of 20.66 as of Jul. 09, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Stepan Co and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Stepan Co ranks #371 out of 660 companies in the Chemicals industry, placing it in the top 56.2%.
Is Stepan Co's Forward PE Ratio too high?
Stepan Co's current Forward PE Ratio is 20.66. The Chemicals industry median Forward PE Ratio is 18.78. Stepan Co's value of 20.66 is 10% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Stepan Co ranks #371 out of 660 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 Forward PE Ratio compare to LWLG and ECVT?
According to the Chemicals industry distribution chart, Stepan Co ranks #371 out of 660 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places Stepan Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 18.78. Stepan Co's value of 20.66 is 10% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Chemicals company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Chemicals companies is 18.78, based on 660 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Stepan Co's current Forward PE Ratio of 20.66 is 10% 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 Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Stepan Co and its competitors. For the Chemicals industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 18.78 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Stepan Co's current Forward PE Ratio is 20.66. 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 $70.83, compared to a current price of $55.47 — trading 21.7% below its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 20.66 and 10% above the Chemicals industry median of 18.78. Stepan Co's overall GF Score™ is 79/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Stepan Co (SCL), the current Forward PE Ratio is 20.66 as of Jul. 09, 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 $55.47 is trading 21.7% below its estimated GF Value™ of $70.83.
GuruFocus considers Stepan Co to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for SCL:
Forward PE Ratio: 20.66
GF Value™: $70.83 vs. price of $55.47 (21.7% below fair value)
Industry Position: 10% above the Chemicals median (#371 of 660)
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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