Every 8-K that Stepan Co. (SCL) has filed with the SEC in the last 24 months is listed below, newest first, and each one links through to the document itself with the summary and the scores our analysis gives it.
A 8-K covers material events a company has to report between its quarterly reports, so if you follow SCL and want that one kind of document rather than the whole filing history, this is the page to keep. The company's other filings, of every form, are on the full SCL filings page.
Stepan Company reported strong second‑quarter 2026 results, with net sales of $684.1 million, up 15% year‑over‑year. Net income more than doubled, with diluted earnings per share of $1.00. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.18, more than double the prior‑year quarter, and consolidated adjusted EBITDA rose 45% to $74.4 million, driven mainly by Surfactants and Polymers volume growth and margin recovery.
For the first half of 2026, reported results reflected $70,545 thousand of Business Restructuring expense tied to Project Catalyst, leading to a reported net loss even as adjusted net income rose 20%. The Board approved a plan to reduce the global salaried workforce by around 100 roles, expecting approximately $4–6 million of primarily cash restructuring charges, largely in the second half of 2026, within the previously disclosed $75–80 million full‑year Project Catalyst range.
Director Jan Stern Reed resigned from the Board and its committees without a disagreement, and new committee chairs were appointed. Matthew J. Eaken was named Principal Accounting Officer. The Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.395 per share, payable September 15, 2026. Management stated that, despite macro uncertainties, they believe the company will deliver full‑year adjusted EBITDA growth, positive free cash flow and continued balance‑sheet de‑leveraging in 2026.
Stepan Company reported voting results from its April 28, 2026 annual stockholder meeting. A quorum was present, with 19,939,848 common shares represented in person or by proxy.
Stockholders elected three directors to terms expiring in 2029. Joaquin Delgado received 17,708,824 votes for and 574,142 against, Corning F. Painter received 18,083,634 for and 199,377 against, and F. Quinn Stepan, Jr. received 17,761,172 for and 528,911 against, with additional abstentions and broker non-votes on each nominee.
Stockholders approved, on an advisory basis, the compensation of Stepan’s named executive officers, with 17,000,565 votes for, 1,233,415 against, and 67,131 abstentions. They also ratified the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Stepan’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2026, with 19,630,780 votes for, 289,370 against, and 19,698 abstentions.
Stepan Company reported a first quarter 2026 net loss of $41.4 million, or $(1.81) per diluted share, compared with net income of $19.7 million a year earlier. The loss was driven by a previously announced pre-tax business restructuring charge of $65.4 million related to closing the Fieldsboro, NJ site and decommissioning select assets in Illinois and the UK.
Excluding deferred compensation, environmental items and restructuring, adjusted net income was $10.3 million, down 47%, and adjusted earnings per diluted share were $0.45 versus $0.84. Net sales rose 2% to $604.5 million, while consolidated adjusted EBITDA fell 14% to $49.6 million as weaker Surfactants performance outweighed stronger Polymers results.
Surfactants net sales increased 5% to $453.7 million, but adjusted EBITDA declined 15%. Polymers net sales declined 11% to $130.0 million, while adjusted EBITDA grew 8% on margin improvement. Specialty Products net sales rose 24% to $20.8 million, with adjusted EBITDA down 11%. Stepan generated operating cash flow of $16.9 million and negative free cash flow of $14.0 million after $30.9 million of capital expenditures.
The company also entered into an agreement to sell a parcel of land near its Millsdale site for $30 million, subject to customary closing conditions. Separately, the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.395 per share, payable on June 15, 2026 to shareholders of record on June 1, 2026.
Stepan Company announced Project Catalyst, a comprehensive operational and efficiency plan targeting approximately $100 million in pre-tax savings over the next two years. To achieve this, the company will close its Fieldsboro, New Jersey site and decommission select assets at its Elwood (Millsdale), Illinois and Stalybridge, United Kingdom facilities by mid-2026, consolidating production into its existing network.
Stepan expects restructuring charges of $70–$80 million in 2026, with about $52–$62 million recognized in the first quarter of 2026. Over the life of the project, cash impacts are projected at $29–$44 million and non-cash impacts at $58–$62 million, primarily related to asset write-downs, decommissioning costs and related expenses.
Stepan Company reported solid full-year 2025 growth with signs of near-term pressure. Net sales rose to $2.33 billion, up 7%, while reported net income declined to $46.9 million, down 7%, as higher interest expense, a less favorable tax rate and a $6.2 million goodwill impairment weighed on results.
Adjusted net income fell 17% to $41.7 million, but adjusted EBITDA increased 6% to $198.9 million, showing better underlying cash earnings. Surfactants grew revenue yet saw lower earnings, while Polymers and Specialty Products delivered higher operating income. Free cash flow of $25.4 million in the fourth quarter helped cut net debt and reduce the net debt ratio to 28%.
The company launched Project Catalyst, targeting about $100 million in pre-tax savings over the next two years through a portfolio and footprint reset, including closing its Fieldsboro, New Jersey site and decommissioning assets at Millsdale, Illinois and Stalybridge, UK. Stepan also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.395 per share, payable March 13, 2026, extending its 58-year streak of dividend increases.
Stepan Company has approved a new Key Executive Severance Benefit Plan effective November 26, 2025. The plan covers selected executives, including currently serving named executive officers, and is intended to provide severance compensation and benefits following certain involuntary terminations described as Qualifying Terminations.
Qualifying Terminations include an involuntary termination without cause and certain terminations that occur on or within 24 months after a change in control, including constructive terminations. Tier 1 executives are eligible for severance periods of 18 months for an involuntary termination without cause and 36 months for a change in control termination, while Tier 2 executives receive 12 months and 24 months, respectively. Severance is conditioned on the executive signing a release and complying with restrictive covenants, and equity awards continue to be governed by existing equity incentive plans and award agreements.
Stepan Company announced it issued a press release with its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, and disclosed a separate dividend action.
The Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.395 per share, payable on December 15, 2025, to shareholders of record as of November 28, 2025. The earnings press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1, and the dividend press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.2.
Stepan Company (SCL) announced the resignation of Samuel S. Hinrichsen, Global Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations, effective October 31, 2025.
Hinrichsen previously served as Vice President and Interim Chief Financial Officer from October 30, 2024 to July 15, 2025. The company stated his resignation was not due to any disagreement with Stepan regarding operations, policies, or practices.
Form 8-K material event: Stepan Company (NYSE: SCL) disclosed the appointment of Ruben Velasquez, age 51, as Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, effective July 15 2025. He succeeds interim CFO Samuel Hinrichsen, who returns to his prior role as Vice President of Finance.
Professional background: Velasquez joins from 3M Company, where he spent 19 years in progressively senior finance roles, most recently serving as Vice President of Global Finance Transformation (2022-2024). His previous posts at 3M included CFO positions for Manufacturing & Supply Chain Operations (2021-2022), Consumer Business (2016-2021), and Electronics Materials Solutions (2013-2016), as well as country CFO roles in Russia and Colombia.
Compensation: • Base salary: $475,000 per year. • Target annual cash incentive: 75 % of base salary. • Initial long-term incentive grant (Aug-2025): $200,000 in restricted stock units, $100,000 in performance shares, and $100,000 in stock appreciation rights, all with standard performance and vesting terms. • Relocation benefits and standard executive perquisites.
Governance disclosures: The filing notes no relationships or related-party transactions under Item 404(a). Appointment terms are not tied to any arrangement with other parties.
Exhibits: 99.1 – press release dated July 14 2025 announcing the appointment; 104 – cover-page Inline XBRL data file.
This leadership change completes the CFO search and places a seasoned multinational executive at the helm of Stepan’s finance organization.