How does Stepan (SCL) make money?

Stepan (SCL) generates revenue primarily from Surfactants, which accounted for 72.1% of total revenue in TTM through Q1 2026. The company reported $2.34B in revenue and converted -0.6% of it into net profit, equivalent to roughly −$14.22M in net income — what's left after the cost of revenue, operating expenses, interest, and income taxes.

What is the gross profit margin of Stepan (SCL)?

Stepan (SCL) reported a gross profit margin of 11.1% in TTM through Q1 2026, equivalent to $259.28M in gross profit on $2.34B in revenue. Gross margin measures how much of each dollar of revenue remains after the direct cost of producing or delivering the product — a higher figure typically signals pricing power, scale, or a less capital-intensive business model.

What is the operating profit margin of Stepan (SCL)?

Stepan (SCL) reported an operating profit margin of 2.4% in TTM through Q1 2026, equivalent to $56.91M in operating income. Operating margin captures profitability after research & development, sales & marketing, and general & administrative expenses — but before interest, taxes, and one-off items — and is the cleanest single read on the underlying business's efficiency.

What is the net profit margin of Stepan (SCL)?

Stepan (SCL) reported a net profit margin of -0.6% in TTM through Q1 2026, equivalent to −$14.22M in net income. Net margin is the bottom-line share of revenue that survives every expense — operating costs, interest, and income taxes — and is the figure that flows directly into earnings per share.

Is Stepan (SCL) profitable?

Stepan (SCL) reported a net loss of $14.22M for TTM through Q1 2026, a net profit margin of -0.6%. Combined operating expenses, interest, and income taxes exceeded revenue, so the period closed in the red on a reported basis.

How much does Stepan (SCL) invest in research and development?

Stepan (SCL) invested $59.62M in research and development during TTM through Q1 2026, roughly 2.5% of total revenue. R&D spending funds the company's future product pipeline and is expensed in full on the income statement rather than capitalised, which makes the operating margin sensitive to how aggressively management chooses to reinvest in innovation.

How much does Stepan (SCL) spend on capital expenditures?

Stepan (SCL) spent $177.13M on capital expenditures (CapEx) during TTM through Q1 2026, roughly 7.6% of total revenue. CapEx represents long-lived investment in property, equipment, data centres, and other physical infrastructure, and is subtracted from operating cash flow to arrive at free cash flow.

How much free cash flow does Stepan (SCL) generate?

Stepan (SCL) generated −$19.26M in free cash flow during TTM through Q1 2026, a free-cash-flow margin of -0.8%. Free cash flow is the cash left after capital expenditures and represents the discretionary pool the company can use to pay dividends, repurchase shares, repay debt, or fund acquisitions without raising external capital.

What are the main business segments of Stepan (SCL)?

Stepan (SCL) reports revenue across 3 reportable product segments, led by Surfactants at 72.1% of total revenue in TTM through Q1 2026. See the revenue-by-segment table on this page for the full breakdown and how each segment feeds into the income-statement waterfall above.

Where does Stepan (SCL) generate most of its revenue?

North America is the largest geographic market for Stepan (SCL), accounting for 57.5% of revenue in the most recent annual filing. The complete regional split — including international markets and any Rest-of-World rollup — is shown in the revenue-by-geography table on this page.

How Stepan Makes Money: 2026 Visual Revenue Map

Stepan (SCL) Income Statement Flow — TTM through Q1 2026

Calculated from the four most recent reported quarters, ending March 31, 2026 (reported May 6, 2026).

Stepan (SCL) Revenue by Product Segment — TTM through Q1 2026

Aggregated from the four quarterly disclosures behind this TTM. Minor differences vs the company's annual filing can occur if reported segments changed mid-year.

Revenue contribution by product segment for Stepan (SCL) in TTM through Q1 2026.
Segment	Revenue (USD)	% of total
Surfactants	$1.69B	72.1%
Polymers	$568.39M	24.3%
Specialty Products	$85.64M	3.7%
Total	$2.34B	100%

Surfactants$1.69B
Polymers$568.39M
Specialty Products$85.64M
Total$2.34B

Stepan (SCL) Revenue by Geography — TTM through Q1 2026

Aggregated from the four quarterly disclosures behind this TTM. Minor differences vs the company's annual filing can occur if reported regions changed mid-year.

Revenue contribution by geographic region for Stepan (SCL), TTM through Q1 2026
Region	Revenue (USD)	% of total
North America	$1.35B	57.5%
Europe	$541.14M	23.1%
Latin America	$372.23M	15.9%
Asia	$81.91M	3.5%
Total	$2.34B	100%

North America
Europe
Latin America
Asia
Total

Revenue Breakdown — TTM through Q1 2026

In TTM through Q1 2026, Stepan (SCL) reports revenue across 3 operating segments; the largest segment was Surfactants at 72.1%, followed by Polymers (24.3%) and Specialty Products (3.7%). Separately, by end-market geography, North America accounted for 57.5% of revenue, followed by Europe (23.1%) and Latin America (15.9%).

Frequently asked questions

Data & methodology

Stepan (SCL) Key Financials

Charts, filings, and peer comparison for every metric

Explore more

Deep-dives across the income statement, cash flow, capital return, and valuation