Question 1

What is Stepan's P/FCF ratio?

Accepted Answer

Stepan (SCL) P/FCF ratio is 36.1× as of February 25, 2026. The ratio is calculated by dividing market capitalisation by trailing twelve-month free cash flow, using USD-normalised financials (IAS 21 exchange-rate translation for non-USD reporters).

Question 2

How is the P/FCF ratio calculated?

Accepted Answer

P/FCF = Market Capitalisation ÷ Trailing Twelve-Month (TTM) Free Cash Flow, where Free Cash Flow = Operating Cash Flow − Capital Expenditures. All inputs are sourced from audited GAAP/IFRS filings and translated to USD using period-end exchange rates so the multiple is comparable across companies and currencies.

Question 3

What is the P/FCF ratio?

Accepted Answer

The price-to-free-cash-flow (P/FCF) ratio compares a company's market capitalisation to its trailing twelve-month (TTM) free cash flow. It is calculated as market cap ÷ TTM free cash flow, where free cash flow = operating cash flow − capital expenditures. Because FCF cannot be inflated by non-cash accounting items, P/FCF is often considered a cleaner measure of "earnings-power valuation" than P/E — especially for capital-intensive businesses where depreciation diverges from real cash outflows.

Question 4

What is a good P/FCF ratio for Stepan?

Accepted Answer

Mature companies that consistently convert profit into cash often trade at 15–25× P/FCF; capital-intensive businesses with lumpy capex typically trade lower. Compare against sector peers and against the company's own multi-year average — single-year P/FCF can be distorted by working-capital swings. For Stepan specifically, the relevant sector benchmark is the current sector median of 25.9×.

Question 5

Is Stepan's P/FCF ratio high or low?

Accepted Answer

Stepan's P/FCF ratio of 36.1× is above its own 5-year average of 25.3× and above the sector median of 25.9×. That places the current reading at the 82th percentile of its 10-year history. A higher multiple usually reflects stronger expected growth, lower perceived risk, or higher returns on capital; a lower multiple reflects the opposite.

Question 6

What is Stepan's historical P/FCF ratio range?

Accepted Answer

In the available daily series, Stepan (SCL) P/FCF ratio has ranged from a low of 5.2× in 2010 to a high of 423.7× in 2005. The 5-year average is 25.3× and the 5-year median is 19.6×.

Question 7

What was Stepan's P/FCF ratio in 2024?

Accepted Answer

Stepan (SCL) P/FCF ratio at the end of 2024 was 11.7×. Annual values reflect the multiple on the last trading day of each calendar year, using the trailing twelve-month free cash flow figure available at that date.

Question 8

Why does Stepan's P/FCF ratio change over time?

Accepted Answer

Valuation multiples move with two inputs: the numerator (market capitalisation, which tracks the share price) and the denominator (free cash flow). Share-price changes — driven by interest rates, earnings expectations, risk appetite, and broader market sentiment — typically dominate short-term moves, while changes in the underlying fundamental drive the longer-term trend. As a result, the ratio can rise during stock-price rallies even if the business itself has not become more valuable, and fall during sell-offs even when fundamentals are improving.


2025	$1.08B	-$31.1M	—	—	Dec 31, 2025
2024	$1.48B	$126M	11.7×	—	Dec 31, 2024
2023	$2.16B	-$85.5M	—	—	Dec 31, 2023
2022	$2.42B	-$141M	—	—	Dec 31, 2022
2021	$2.84B	-$122M	—	—	Dec 31, 2021
2020	$2.74B	$109M	25.0×	+4.1×	Dec 31, 2020
2019	$2.36B	$113M	20.9×	+0.7×	Dec 31, 2019
2018	$1.7B	$84.5M	20.1×	+5.1×	Dec 31, 2018
2017	$1.81B	$120M	15.1×	-2.0×	Dec 31, 2017
2016	$1.86B	$109M	17.1×	-0.6×	Dec 31, 2016
2015	$1.13B	$63.9M	17.7×	—	Dec 31, 2015
2014	$910M	-$19.9M	—	—	Dec 31, 2014
2013	$1.49B	$57.4M	26.0×	-20.9×	Dec 31, 2013
2012	$1.21B	$25.8M	46.9×	—	Dec 31, 2012
2011	$835M	-$5.79M	—	—	Dec 31, 2011
2010	$778M	-$7.62M	—	—	Dec 31, 2010
2009	$650M	$124M	5.3×	—	Dec 31, 2009
2008	$456M	-$20.6M	—	—	Dec 31, 2008
2007	$304M	$7.26M	41.9×	—	Dec 31, 2007
2006	$291M	-$7.14M	—	—	Dec 31, 2006
2005	$243M	$573K	423.7×	+402.0×	Dec 31, 2005
2004	$219M	$10.1M	21.7×	+3.7×	Dec 31, 2004
2003	$228M	$12.7M	18.0×	-4.4×	Dec 31, 2003
2002	$222M	$9.93M	22.3×	—	Dec 31, 2002


Nucor (NUE)	74.2×
Air Products and Chemicals (APD)	58.4×
International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF)	46.7×
Linde (LIN)	45.1×
Ecolab (ECL)	40.1×
Albemarle (ALB)	36.7×
International Paper (IP)	35.2×
Steel Dynamics (STLD)	34.7×
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM)	34.3×
Vulcan Materials (VMC)	32.2×
Corteva (CTVA)	27.5×
Sherwin-Williams (SHW)	27.1×
H.B. Fuller (FUL)	24.8×
CRH (CRH)	24.4×
Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM)	22.3×
PPG Industries (PPG)	19.5×
Eastman Chemical (EMN)	17.5×
DuPont de Nemours (DD)	17.0×
Avient (AVNT)	16.2×
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX)	13.6×
CF Industries Holdings (CF)	12.4×
Builders FirstSource (BLDR)	10.5×
Newmont (NEM)	9.6×
LyondellBasell (LYB)	9.3×
Ashland (ASH)	7.6×

P/FCF Ratio for Stepan (SCL) 2002-2026

P/FCF Ratio daily chart for Stepan (SCL)

Historical P/FCF Ratio for Stepan (SCL) from 2002 to 2025

About P/FCF Ratio at Stepan (SCL)

Stepan P/FCF Ratio by Year

Stepan P/FCF Ratio 2024: 11.7×

Stepan P/FCF Ratio 2020: 25.0×

Stepan P/FCF Ratio 2019: 20.9×

Stepan P/FCF Ratio 2018: 20.1×

Stepan P/FCF Ratio 2017: 15.1×

Sector peers by P/FCF Ratio — chart

Sector peers by P/FCF Ratio — table

Frequently asked questions

Stepan (SCL) Key Financials