Stepan CoSCL +1.68%79 5-Year ROIIC % is -9.06 as of Dec. 2025. GuruFocus rates SCL with a GF Score™ of 79/100 and a GF Value™ of $70.74 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,467 Chemicals companies, Stepan Co ranks worse than 75.8% on this metric.
5-Year Return on Invested Incremental Capital (5-Year ROIIC %) measures the change in earnings as a percentage of change in investment over 5-year.
Stepan Co's 5-Year ROIIC % for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 was -9.06%. High ROIIC is generally an indication that your business is capital efficient or has a higher operating leverage.
The industry rank for Stepan Co's 5-Year ROIIC % or its related term are showing as below:
SCL's 5-Year ROIIC % is ranked worse than 75.8% of 1467
companies
in the Chemicals industry
Industry Median: 1.47
vs SCL: -9.06
Stepan Co (NYSE:SCL) 5-Year ROIIC % Explanation
Return on Incremental Invested Capital (ROIIC) is an extension of Return on Investment Capital (ROIC). ROIC % tells investors how efficiently that profitability is earned per dollar of company capital. ROIIC narrows the focus even further and shows how profitable each additional unit of capital investment could be. ROIIC % is a more powerful metric than ROIC because it measures how much money the company can generate going forward on future capital investments.
High ROIIC is generally an indication that your business is capital efficient or has a higher operating leverage.
Be Aware
It's important to keep in mind that when tracking ROIIC, the metric is better suited to forecasting the trend of future returns rather than measuring current return on investment.
Stepan Co 5-Year ROIIC % Related Terms
Stepan Co 5-Year ROIIC % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Stepan Co's 5-Year ROIIC % 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 5-Year ROIIC %, along with its competitors' market caps and 5-Year ROIIC % 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 5-Year ROIIC % vs Chemicals Industry
For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, Stepan Co's 5-Year ROIIC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Stepan Co's 5-Year ROIIC % 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.
** Annual data of NOPAT and Invested Capital was used to calculate 5-Year ROIIC %.
*** Please be aware that the ROIIC (Return on Invested Capital) calculations are based on company-level data using the primary share class. The calculated data provided is for demonstration purposes and may slightly differ from the results displayed in the title due to potential variations caused by currency exchange rate differences throughout the year.
Stepan Co (SCL) has a 5-Year ROIIC % of -9.06 as of Dec. 2025. 5-Year ROIIC % measures the change in earnings as a percentage of change in investment over 5-year. View historical data on Stepan Co and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Stepan Co ranks #1112 out of 1467 companies in the Chemicals industry, placing it in the top 75.8%.
Is Stepan Co's 5-Year ROIIC % too high?
Stepan Co's current 5-Year ROIIC % is -9.06. Based on the distribution chart, Stepan Co ranks #1112 out of 1467 companies in the Chemicals industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. 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 5-Year ROIIC % compare to LWLG and ECVT?
According to the Chemicals industry distribution chart, Stepan Co ranks #1112 out of 1467 companies for 5-Year ROIIC %. This places Stepan Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median 5-Year ROIIC % is 1.47. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good 5-Year ROIIC % for a Chemicals company?
The median 5-Year ROIIC % among Chemicals companies is 1.47, based on 1,467 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a 5-Year ROIIC % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, 5-Year ROIIC % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high 5-Year ROIIC % mean?
A high 5-Year ROIIC % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. 5-Year ROIIC % measures the change in earnings as a percentage of change in investment over 5-year. View historical data on Stepan Co and its competitors. For the Chemicals industry, the median 5-Year ROIIC % is 1.47 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Stepan Co's current 5-Year ROIIC % is -9.06. 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 $70.74, compared to a current price of $56.75 — trading 19.8% below its estimated fair value. The current 5-Year ROIIC % is -9.06. 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 5-Year ROIIC % calculated?
5-Year ROIIC % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Stepan Co (SCL), the current 5-Year ROIIC % is -9.06 as of Dec. 2025. 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 $56.75 is trading 19.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of $70.74.
GuruFocus considers Stepan Co to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for SCL:
5-Year ROIIC %: -9.06
GF Value™: $70.74 vs. price of $56.75 (19.8% below fair value)
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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