scl-8k_20190331.htm

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): 04/30/2019

 

STEPAN COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Commission File Number: 1-4462

 

Delaware

 

36-1823834

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

Edens and Winnetka Road, Northfield, Illinois 60093

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(847)446-7500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2. below):

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Item 2.02.Results of Operations and Financial Condition

 

On April 30, 2019, Stepan Company (“Stepan”) issued a press release providing its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019.  A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

In addition, on April 30, 2019, Stepan issued a press release announcing that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of $0.25 per share.  The dividend will be paid on June 14, 2019, to common stockholders of record on May 31, 2019.  A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.2 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

Item 9.01.Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

(d)

Exhibits

Exhibit Number: 99.1

Description: Press Release of Stepan Company dated April 30, 2019

 

Exhibit Number: 99.2

Description: Press Release of Stepan Company dated April 30, 2019

 

 

 

 

 


 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

EX-99.1

 

Press Release of Stepan Company dated April 30, 2019

EX-99.2

  

Press Release of Stepan Company dated April 30, 2019

 

 


 


 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEPAN COMPANY

Date: April 30, 2019  

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

/s/ Brian W. Bichkoff

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian W. Bichkoff

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interim General Counsel and Secretary

 

 

scl-ex991_7.htm

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

Stepan Reports First Quarter Earnings

 

Northfield, Illinois, April 30, 2019 -- Stepan Company (NYSE: SCL) today reported:

 

First Quarter Highlights

 

 

Reported net income was $25.0 million, or $1.07 per diluted share versus $32.0 million, or $1.37 per diluted share, in the prior year.  Adjusted net income* was $30.6 million, or $1.31 per diluted share versus $33.6 million, or $1.44 per diluted share, in the prior year.  Global sales volume grew 3% quarter-over-quarter.  Each of the three segments delivered sales volume growth during the first quarter of 2019.

 

 

 

Surfactant operating income was $37.2 million versus $41.5 million in the prior year.  This decrease was primarily attributable to a $2.3 million operating loss incurred at the Ecatepec, Mexico facility as a result of a sulfonation equipment failure in January of 2019.  The Company’s insurance provider has acknowledged this incident is a covered event and the Company is pursuing insurance recovery for damaged equipment, incremental supply chain expenses and business interruption.  The unfavorable impact of foreign currency translation negatively impacted results by $0.8 million.  Global Surfactant sales volume increased 3% versus the prior year.  Higher demand within the functional product and personal care end markets was partially offset by lower demand for products sold to the Company’s distribution partners.  

 

 

 

Polymer operating income was $12.1 million versus $17.3 million in the prior year.  This $5.2 million decrease was primarily attributable to the non-recurrence of a $2.1 million class action settlement received in 2018, lower margins and volumes for North American specialty polyols and phthalic anhydride, higher European costs associated with a planned maintenance shutdown in Germany to debottleneck capacity and lower North American rigid polyol margins.  Global Polymer sales volume increased 3% versus the prior year.  North American and European rigid polyol sales volume grew 10% and 7%, respectively.  

 

 

 

Specialty Product operating income was $3.1 million versus a $0.4 million operating loss in the prior year.  This increase was primarily attributable to favorable order timing differences within our flavor business.

 

 

 

The effect of foreign currency translation negatively impacted net income by $0.9 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, versus prior year.

 

 

 

During the first quarter of 2019 the Company elected to change its method of accounting for U.S. inventories from the last in, first out (LIFO) basis to the first in, first out (FIFO) basis.  The Company believes this change is preferable as it provides a better matching of costs with the physical flow of inventory, better reflects the current value of inventories and improves comparability with the Company’s industry peers.  The Company has retrospectively applied this change to its prior year financial statement comparables and denoted impacted

 

1


 

prior year columns “As Adjusted”. The net effects on prior year results of changing from the LIFO method to the FIFO method are $1.2 million of additional income in the first quarter of 2018 and $1.6 million of additional expense for full year 2018.

 

 

 

 

*

Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP measure which excludes deferred compensation income/expense, cash-settled stock appreciation rights (SARs) as well as other significant and infrequent/non-recurring items. See Table II for reconciliations of non-GAAP adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per share.

 

 

“Excluding the impact of the sulfonation equipment failure in Ecatepec and the negative impact of foreign currency translation, the Company had a solid start to the year versus a record first quarter in 2018,” said F. Quinn Stepan, Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Surfactant operating income, excluding the items above, was down slightly.  Global Surfactant sales volume increased 3% on improved demand within our functional product and personal care end markets.  The Polymer business was down primarily due to the non-recurrence of a class action settlement received in 2018 and lower North American margins and volumes within the specialty polyols and phthalic anhydride end markets.  North American and European rigid polyol volumes grew 10% and 7%, respectively.  Our Specialty Product business results were higher due to order timing differences and management approved a plan to reduce overhead within this segment which should provide second half benefits.”        

 

Financial Summary

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31

 

($ in thousands, except per share data)

 

2019

 

 

2018                        As Adjusted

 

 

%

Change

 

Net Sales

 

$

489,170

 

 

$

499,335

 

 

 

(2

)%

Operating Income

 

$

29,738

 

 

$

41,283

 

 

 

(28

)%

Net Income

 

$

24,984

 

 

$

31,952

 

 

 

(22

)%

Earnings per Diluted Share

 

$

1.07

 

 

$

1.37

 

 

 

(22

)%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Net Income *

 

$

30,636

 

 

$

33,603

 

 

 

(9

)%

Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share *

 

$

1.31

 

 

$

1.44

 

 

 

(9

)%

 

* See Table II for reconciliations of non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings per                      Diluted Share.

 

 

Summary of First Quarter Adjusted Net Income Items

 

Adjusted net income excludes non-operational deferred compensation income/expense, cash-settled SARs and other significant and infrequent or non-recurring items.

 

 

Deferred Compensation:  The current year quarter includes $3.9 million of after-tax expense versus $1.0 million of after-tax expense in the prior year.

 

 

Cash Settled SARs:  These management incentive instruments provide cash to participants equal to the appreciation on the price of specified shares of Company stock over a specified period of time.  Because income or expense is recognized merely on the movement in the price of Company stock it has been excluded, similar

2


 

to deferred compensation, to arrive at adjusted net income.  The current year quarter includes $1.2 million of after-tax expense versus $0.3 million of after-tax expense in the prior year.

 

 

Business Restructuring:  The current year quarter is primarily comprised of: (i) $0.4 million of after-tax expense associated with management’s plan to close its Specialty Product office in the Netherlands and absorb the site’s supply chain, quality assurance and research and development functions into other Stepan locations, and: (ii) $0.2 million of after-tax expense attributable to ongoing decommissioning costs related to the Canadian plant closure.  The prior year quarter included $0.3 million of after-tax decommissioning expense related to our Canadian plant closure.

 

 

Percentage Change in Net Sales

 

Net sales decreased 2% quarter-over-quarter.  Global volume growth of 3% was more than offset by the unfavorable impact of foreign currency translation, mostly related to weaker European and Latin American currencies versus the U.S. dollar, and lower selling prices, mainly attributable to the pass-through of lower raw material costs.    

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31, 2019

 

Volume

 

 

3

%

Selling Price & Mix

 

 

(2

)%

Foreign Currency Translation

 

 

(3

)%

Total

 

 

(2

)%

 

 

Segment Results

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31

 

($ in thousands)

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

%

Change

 

Net Sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surfactants

 

$

349,650

 

 

$

358,940

 

 

 

(3

)%

Polymers

 

$

120,179

 

 

$

121,933

 

 

 

(1

)%

Specialty Products

 

$

19,341

 

 

$

18,462

 

 

 

5

%

Total Net Sales

 

$

489,170

 

 

$

499,335

 

 

 

(2

)%

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31

 

($ in thousands, all amounts pre-tax)

 

2019

 

 

2018                          As Adjusted

 

 

%

Change

 

Operating Income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surfactants

 

$

37,167

 

 

$

41,468

 

 

 

(10

)%

Polymers

 

$

12,105

 

 

$

17,305

 

 

 

(30

)%

Specialty Products

 

$

3,131

 

 

$

(350

)

 

NM

 

Segment Operating Income

 

$

52,403

 

 

$

58,423

 

 

 

(10

)%

    Corporate Expenses

 

$

(22,665

)

 

$

(17,140

)

 

 

32

%

Consolidated Operating Income

 

$

29,738

 

 

$

41,283

 

 

 

(28

)%

 

Total segment operating income decreased $6.0 million or 10% versus the prior year.  

 

3


Surfactant net sales were $349.7 million for the quarter, a 3% decrease versus prior year.  Sales volume increased 3% mostly due to higher demand in the personal care and agricultural end markets.  Lower demand for products sold to our distribution partners and the Company’s exit from commercial sulfonation in Germany partially offset the above growth.  Selling prices were down 3% primarily due to the pass-through of lower raw material costs.  The translation impact of a stronger U.S. dollar decreased net sales by 3%. Surfactant operating income decreased $4.3 million versus the prior year, primarily due to the sulfonation equipment failure at the Company’s Ecatepec, Mexico facility and the unfavorable impact of foreign currency translation resulting from a stronger U.S. dollar versus all currencies where the Company has operations.    

 

Polymer net sales were $120.2 million in the quarter, a 1% decrease versus prior year.  Sales volume increased 3% in the quarter primarily due to higher North American and European polyol volumes used in rigid foam insulation and insulated metal panels.  The translation impact of a stronger U.S. dollar negatively impacted net sales by 4% while selling prices were flat quarter over quarter.  Polymer operating income decreased $5.2 million versus the prior year primarily due to the non-recurrence of a $2.1 million class action settlement received in 2018, lower volumes and margins within the North American specialty polyols and phthalic anhydride end markets, and higher European costs associated with a planned maintenance shutdown in Germany. The lower phthalic anhydride margins reflect the consumption of higher priced year-end inventories carried to guard against potential winter supply disruptions.   

 

Specialty Products net sales were $19.3 million for the quarter, a 5% increase versus prior year.  Sales volume increased 15% for the quarter.  Operating income increased $3.5 million versus the prior year primarily due to favorable order timing differences within our flavor businesses.

 

Corporate Expenses

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31

 

($ in thousands)

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

%

Change

 

Total  -  Corporate Expenses

 

$

22,665

 

 

$

17,140

 

 

 

32

%

Deferred Compensation Expense/(Income) *

 

$

7,473

 

 

$

1,614

 

 

 

363

%

Business Restructuring Expense

 

$

733

 

 

$

358

 

 

 

105

%

   Adjusted Corporate Expenses

 

$

14,459

 

 

$

15,168

 

 

 

(5

)%

 

* See Table III for a discussion of deferred compensation plan accounting.

    

Corporate expenses, excluding deferred compensation and business restructuring costs, decreased $0.7 million, or 5%, for the quarter.  This decrease was mostly attributable to the nonrecurrence of prior year costs associated with the Company’s first quarter acquisition in Ecatepec, Mexico.    

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company’s effective tax rate was 19.5% in the first quarter of 2019 versus 18.7% in the first quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to: (i) the non-recurrence of a

4


favorable 2018 tax benefit from nontaxable foreign interest and (ii) a less favorable geographic mix of income in the first quarter of 2019 versus the first quarter of 2018.  

 

Shareholder Return

 

The Company paid $5.6 million of dividends to shareholders and repurchased $0.1 million of Company stock in the first quarter of 2019.  The Company has 493,387 shares remaining under its Board of Directors’ share repurchase authorization.  The Company has increased its dividend on the Company’s common stock for 51 consecutive years.  

 

Selected Balance Sheet Information

 

The Company’s net debt level increased $26.5 million versus prior year-end and the net debt ratio increased from -3% to 0%.  The increase in net debt was primarily due to a $30.7 million cash reduction resulting from higher working capital requirements that are typical for the Company in the first quarter.    

 

($ in millions)

 

March 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018 As Adjusted

 

Net Debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Debt

 

$

271.9

 

 

$

276.1

 

Cash

 

 

269.5

 

 

 

300.2

 

Net Debt

 

$

2.4

 

 

$

(24.1

)

Equity

 

 

831.4

 

 

 

807.4

 

Net Debt + Equity

 

$

833.8

 

 

$

783.3

 

Net Debt / (Net Debt + Equity)

 

 

0

%

 

 

(3

)%

 

The major working capital components were:

 

($ in millions)

 

March 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018 As Adjusted

 

 

 

Net Receivables

 

$

298.9

 

 

$

280.0

 

 

 

Inventories

 

 

215.0

 

 

 

231.5

 

 

 

Accounts Payable

 

 

(175.6

)

 

 

(206.0

)

 

 

   Net Total

 

$

338.3

 

 

$

305.5

 

 

 

 

Capital spending was $25.7 million versus $27.4 million in the prior year quarter. For the full year, capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $110 million to $130 million.

 

Outlook

 

“Looking forward, we believe our Surfactant business will continue to benefit from our diversification efforts into functional products, new technologies, improved internal efficiencies and expanded sales into our broad customer base globally.  We believe our Polymer business will benefit from the growing market for insulation materials and we are optimistic the business will deliver both full year volume growth and incremental margin improvement versus 2018.  We believe our Specialty Product segment will deliver better margins and combined with restructuring efforts this segment should provide second half benefits.  Overall, we remain optimistic about the balance of the year,” said F. Quinn Stepan, Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.   

 

 

 

5


 

 

Conference Call

 

Stepan Company will host a conference call to discuss the first quarter results at 8:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. CT) on April 30, 2019. The call can be accessed by phone and webcast. Telephone access will be available by dialing 866-394-0807, and the webcast can be accessed through the Investor Relations/Conference Calls page at www.stepan.com. A webcast replay of the conference call will be available at the same location shortly after the call.

 

Supporting Slides

 

Slides supporting this press release will be made available at www.stepan.com through the Investor Relations page at approximately the same time as this press release is issued.

 

Corporate Profile

 

Stepan Company is a major manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of industries.  Stepan is a leading merchant producer of surfactants, which are the key ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning compounds and in agricultural and oilfield solutions.  The Company is also a leading supplier of polyurethane polyols used in the expanding thermal insulation market, and CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, and Elastomers) industries.

 

Headquartered in Northfield, Illinois, Stepan utilizes a network of modern production facilities located in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

 

The Company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol SCL.  For more information about Stepan Company please visit the Company online at www.stepan.com

 

 

Contact: Luis E. Rojo                              (847) 446-7500

 

* * * * *

 

Tables follow

 

Certain information in this news release consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include statements about Stepan Company’s plans, objectives, strategies, financial performance and outlook, trends, the amount and timing of future cash distributions, prospects or future events and involve known and unknown risks that are difficult to predict. As a result, Stepan Company’s actual financial results, performance, achievements or prospects may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “guidance,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would,” ”should,” “illustrative” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Stepan Company and its management based on their knowledge and understanding of the business and industry, are inherently uncertain. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and stockholders should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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There are a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors, many of which are beyond Stepan Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Such risks, uncertainties and other important factors include, among other factors, the risks, uncertainties and factors described in Stepan Company’s Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form8-K reports and exhibits to those reports, and include (but are not limited to) risks and uncertainties related to disruptions in production or accidents at manufacturing facilities, global competition, volatility of raw material and energy costs, disruptions in transportation or significant changes in transportation costs, reduced demand due to customer product reformulations or new technologies, the probability of future acquisitions and the uncertainties related to the integration of acquired businesses, maintaining and protecting intellectual property rights, international business risks, including currency exchange rate fluctuations, legal restrictions and taxes, our debt covenants, our ability to access capital markets, downturns in certain industries and general economic downturns, global political, military, security or other instability, costs related to expansion or other capital projects, interruption or breaches of information technology systems, the costs and other effects of governmental regulation and legal and administrative proceedings and our ability to retain executive management and key personnel.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and Stepan Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Table I

STEPAN COMPANY

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 and 2018

(Unaudited – ‘000s Omitted)

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018                        As Adjusted

 

Net Sales

 

$

489,170

 

 

$

499,335

 

Cost of Sales *

 

 

404,561

 

 

 

408,137

 

Gross Profit *

 

 

84,609

 

 

 

91,198

 

Operating Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling

 

 

13,969

 

 

 

14,890

 

Administrative

 

 

19,306

 

 

 

19,439

 

Research, Development and Technical Services

 

 

13,390

 

 

 

13,614

 

Deferred Compensation Expense

 

 

7,473

 

 

 

1,614

 

 

 

 

54,138

 

 

 

49,557

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business Restructuring

 

 

733

 

 

 

358

 

Operating Income *

 

 

29,738

 

 

 

41,283

 

Other Income (Expense):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest, Net

 

 

(1,853

)

 

 

(3,151

)

Other, Net

 

 

3,145

 

 

 

1,160

 

 

 

 

1,292

 

 

 

(1,991

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income Before Income Taxes *

 

 

31,030

 

 

 

39,292

 

Provision for Income Taxes *

 

 

6,052

 

 

 

7,347

 

Net Income *

 

 

24,978

 

 

 

31,945

 

Net Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests

 

 

6

 

 

 

7

 

Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company

 

$

24,984

 

 

$

31,952

 

Net Income Per Common Share Attributable to Stepan Company *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic *

 

$

1.08

 

 

$

1.38

 

Diluted *

 

$

1.07

 

 

$

1.37

 

Shares Used to Compute Net Income Per Common

Share Attributable to Stepan Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

23,099

 

 

 

23,082

 

Diluted

 

 

23,332

 

 

 

23,389

 

 

 

* The 2018 amounts for the noted line items have been changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s first quarter 2019 change in method of accounting for U.S. inventory valuation from LIFO to FIFO.

8


 

Table II

 

 

Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Net Income and Earnings per Diluted Share*

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31

 

($ in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

2019

 

 

EPS

 

 

2018                        As Adjusted

 

 

EPS                          As Adjusted

 

Net Income Reported

 

$

24,984

 

 

$

1.07

 

 

$

31,952

 

 

$

1.37

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred Compensation Expense

 

$

3,881

 

 

$

0.17

 

 

$

1,038

 

 

$

0.05

 

Business Restructuring

 

 

540

 

 

$

0.02

 

 

 

269

 

 

$

0.01

 

Cash Settled Stock Appreciation Rights

 

 

1,231

 

 

$

0.05

 

 

 

344

 

 

$

0.01

 

Adjusted Net Income

 

$

30,636

 

 

$

1.31

 

 

$

33,603

 

 

$

1.44

 

 

 

* All amounts in this table are presented after-tax

 

The Company believes that certain measures that are not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), when presented in conjunction with comparable GAAP measures, are useful for evaluating the Company’s operating performance and provide better clarity on the impact of non-operational items.  Internally, the Company uses this non-GAAP information as an indicator of business performance, and evaluates management’s effectiveness with specific reference to these indicators.  These measures should be considered in addition to, and are neither a substitute for, nor superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

 

 

Reconciliations of Pre-Tax to After-Tax Adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31

 

 

($ in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

2019

 

 

EPS

 

 

2018

 

 

EPS

 

 

Pre-Tax Adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred Compensation Expense

 

$

5,106

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,365

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business Restructuring

 

 

733

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

358

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Settled Stock Appreciation Rights

 

 

1,620

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

453

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Total Pre-Tax Adjustments

 

$

7,459

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

2,176

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cumulative Tax Effect on Adjustments

 

$

(1,807

)

 

 

 

 

 

$

(525

)

 

 

 

 

 

   After-Tax Adjustments

 

$

5,652

 

 

$

0.24

 

 

$

1,651

 

 

$

0.07

 

 


9


 

Table III

 

 

 

Deferred Compensation Plan

 

 

The full effect of the deferred compensation plan on quarterly pre-tax income was $5.1 million of expense versus $1.4 million of expense in the prior year.  The accounting for the deferred compensation plan results in operating income when the prices of Company common stock or mutual fund shares held in the plan fall and expense when they rise.  The Company also recognizes the change in value of mutual fund shares as investment income or loss.  The quarter end market prices of Company common stock are as follows:

 

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

 

3/31

 

 

12/31

 

 

9/30

 

 

6/30

 

 

3/31

 

Stepan Company

 

$

87.52

 

 

$

74.00

 

 

$

87.01

 

 

$

78.01

 

 

$

83.18

 

 

 

The deferred compensation income statement impact is summarized below:

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31

 

($ in thousands)

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

Deferred Compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Expense

 

$

(7,473

)

 

$

(1,614

)

Other, net – Mutual Fund Gain (Loss)

 

 

2,367

 

 

 

249

 

Total Pre-Tax

 

$

(5,106

)

 

$

(1,365

)

Total After Tax

 

$

(3,881

)

 

$

(1,038

)

 

 

 

 


10


 

Table IV

 

 

Effects of Foreign Currency Translation

 

The Company’s foreign subsidiaries transact business and report financial results in their respective local currencies. As a result, foreign subsidiary income statements are translated into U.S. dollars at average foreign exchange rates appropriate for the reporting period. Because foreign exchange rates fluctuate against the U.S. dollar over time, foreign currency translation affects period-to-period comparisons of financial statement items (i.e., because foreign exchange rates fluctuate, similar period-to-period local currency results for a foreign subsidiary may translate into different U.S. dollar results).  Below is a table that presents the impact that foreign currency translation had on the changes in consolidated net sales and various income line items for the three-month period ending March 31, 2019 as compared to 2018:

 

($ in millions)

 

Three Months Ended

March 31

 

 

(Decrease)

 

 

Decrease

Due to Foreign

Currency

Translation

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018                         As Adjusted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Sales

 

$

489.2

 

 

$

499.3

 

 

$

(10.1

)

 

$

(16.2

)

Gross Profit

 

 

84.6

 

 

 

91.2

 

 

 

(6.6

)

 

 

(2.2

)

Operating Income

 

 

29.7

 

 

 

41.3

 

 

 

(11.6

)

 

 

(1.1

)

Pretax Income

 

 

31.0

 

 

 

39.3

 

 

 

(8.3

)

 

 

(1.1

)

 

 

 

 


11


 

 

Table V

 

 

Stepan Company

Consolidated Balance Sheets

March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018

 

 

March 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018    As Adjusted

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Assets *

 

$

808,136

 

 

 

833,893

 

Property, Plant & Equipment, Net

 

 

605,360

 

 

 

608,892

 

Other Assets *

 

 

112,504

 

 

 

71,829

 

Total Assets *

 

$

1,526,000

 

 

$

1,514,614

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Liabilities

 

$

295,448

 

 

 

338,582

 

Deferred Income Taxes *

 

 

24,158

 

 

 

24,961

 

Long-term Debt

 

 

239,063

 

 

 

239,022

 

Other Non-current Liabilities

 

 

135,110

 

 

 

103,864

 

Total Stepan Company Stockholders’ Equity *

 

 

831,447

 

 

 

807,425

 

Noncontrolling Interest

 

 

774

 

 

 

760

 

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity *

 

$

1,526,000

 

 

$

1,514,614

 

 

 

* The 2018 amounts for the noted line items have been changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s first quarter 2019 change in method of accounting for U.S. inventory valuation from LIFO to FIFO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12

scl-ex992_6.htm

Exhibit 99.2

 

Stepan Declares Quarterly Dividend

 

Northfield, Illinois, April 30, 2019 -- Stepan Company (NYSE:SCL) today reported:

 

On April 29, 2019, the Board of Directors of Stepan Company declared a quarterly cash dividend on the Company’s common stock of $0.25 per share.  The dividend is payable on June 14, 2019, to common stockholders of record on May 31, 2019.  The Company increased its quarterly cash dividend in the fourth quarter of 2018 by $0.02 per share, marking the 51st consecutive year that the Company has increased its cash dividend to stockholders.  

 

Corporate Profile

 

Stepan Company is a major manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of industries.  Stepan is a leading merchant producer of surfactants, which are the key ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning compounds and in agricultural and oilfield solutions.  The Company is also a leading supplier of polyurethane polyols used in the expanding thermal insulation market, and CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, and Elastomers) industries.

 

Headquartered in Northfield, Illinois, Stepan utilizes a network of modern production facilities located in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

 

The Company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol SCL.  For more information about Stepan Company please visit the Company online at www.stepan.com

 

Certain information in this news release consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include statements about Stepan Company’s plans, objectives, strategies, financial performance and outlook, trends, the amount and timing of future cash distributions, prospects or future events and involve known and unknown risks that are difficult to predict. As a result, Stepan Company’s actual financial results, performance, achievements or prospects may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “guidance,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would,” ”should,” “illustrative” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Stepan Company and its management based on their knowledge and understanding of the business and industry, are inherently uncertain. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and stockholders should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

There are a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors, many of which are beyond Stepan Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Such risks, uncertainties and other important factors include, among other factors, the risks, uncertainties and factors described in Stepan Company’s Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports and exhibits to those reports, and include (but are not limited to) risks and uncertainties related to disruptions in production or accidents at manufacturing facilities, global competition, volatility of raw material and energy costs, disruptions in transportation or significant changes in transportation costs, reduced demand due to customer product reformulations or new technologies, the probability of future acquisitions and the uncertainties related to the integration of acquired businesses, maintaining and protecting intellectual property rights, international business risks, including currency exchange rate fluctuations, legal restrictions and taxes, our debt covenants, our ability to access capital markets, downturns in certain industries and general economic downturns, global political, military, security or other instability, costs related to expansion or other capital projects, interruption or breaches of information technology systems, the costs and other effects of governmental regulation and legal and administrative proceedings and our ability to retain executive management and key personnel.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and Stepan Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.