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Richard Sloan from the University of Michigan was first to document what is referred to as the "accrual anomaly". His 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones.
Stepan Co's Sloan Ratio for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -3.71%.
As of Mar. 2026, Stepan Co has a Sloan Ratio of -3.71%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Stepan Co (NYSE:SCL) Sloan Ratio % Explanation
A former University of Michigan researcher, Richard Sloan's 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones. In fact, for the 40-year period between 1962 and 2001, buying the lowest accrual companies and shorting the highest accrual companies resulted in an average annual compounded return of 18%, more than double the S&P 500's 7.4% annual return over the same period.
If the Sloan Ratio is between -10% and 10%, the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than between -25% and -10% on the negative side, and between 10% and 25% on the positive side, this is a warning stage of accrual build up.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than -25% or greater than 25%, and this ratio is consistent over several quarters or even years, be careful. Earnings are highly likely to be made up of accruals.
As of Mar. 2026, Stepan Co has a Sloan Ratio of -3.71%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Stepan Co Sloan Ratio % Related Terms
Stepan Co Sloan Ratio % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Stepan Co's Sloan 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.
For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, Stepan Co's Sloan Ratio %, along with its competitors' market caps and Sloan 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 Sloan Ratio % vs Chemicals Industry
For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, Stepan Co's Sloan Ratio % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Stepan Co's Sloan Ratio % falls into.
Earnings contain a lot of non cash earnings which is called accruals. The Sloan ratio is a way to identify firms with low non-cash or accrual-derived earnings relative to their cash flow.
Stepan Co's Sloan Ratio for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as
Stepan Co's Net Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was 11.341 (Jun. 2025 ) + 10.839 (Sep. 2025 ) + 5.004 (Dec. 2025 ) + -41.406 (Mar. 2026 ) = $-14 Mil.
Stepan Co's Cash Flow from Operations for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was 11.193 (Jun. 2025 ) + 69.756 (Sep. 2025 ) + 59.991 (Dec. 2025 ) + 16.934 (Mar. 2026 ) = $158 Mil.
Stepan Co's Cash Flow from Investing for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was -25.057 (Jun. 2025 ) + -29.55 (Sep. 2025 ) + -8.031 (Dec. 2025 ) + -22.91 (Mar. 2026 ) = $-86 Mil.
* 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 (SCL) has a Sloan Ratio % of -3.71% as of Mar. 2026. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Stepan Co and its competitors.
Is Stepan Co's Sloan Ratio % too high?
Stepan Co's current Sloan Ratio % is -3.71%. 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 Sloan Ratio % compare to LWLG and ECVT?
Stepan Co's Sloan Ratio % of -3.71% can be compared against companies in the Chemicals industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Sloan Ratio % for a Chemicals company?
A good Sloan Ratio % depends on the Chemicals industry context. However, Sloan Ratio % 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 Sloan Ratio % mean?
A high Sloan Ratio % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Stepan Co and its competitors. Stepan Co's current Sloan Ratio % is -3.71%. 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 $71.07, compared to a current price of $58.39 — trading 17.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Sloan Ratio % is -3.71%. 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 Sloan Ratio % calculated?
Sloan Ratio % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Stepan Co (SCL), the current Sloan Ratio % is -3.71% 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 $58.39 is trading 17.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of $71.07.
GuruFocus considers Stepan Co to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for SCL:
Sloan Ratio %: -3.71%
GF Value™: $71.07 vs. price of $58.39 (17.8% 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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