The Filing Desk

Quaker Chemical vs Stepan

Quaker Chemical KWR · Stepan SCL · Specialty Chemicals

Stepan reported revenue of $2.3 billion in fiscal 2025, 1.2 times Quaker Chemical's $1.9 billion in fiscal 2025. Quaker Chemical's revenue grew 2.7% in its latest year, and Stepan's grew 7.0%. Quaker Chemical had an operating margin of 2.8%, against 3.4% at Stepan. Free cash flow was $81 million at Quaker Chemical and $25 million at Stepan.

Side by side

Quaker ChemicalStepan
Latest fiscal yearFY2025, Dec 31, 2025FY2025, Dec 31, 2025
Revenue$1.9B$2.3B
Revenue growth2.7%7.0%
Revenue growth a year, last 5 years5.9%4.5%
Gross margin36.0%11.6%
Operating margin2.8%3.4%
Net margin−0.1%2.0%
Free cash flow$81M$25M
Free cash flow margin4.3%1.1%
Return on capital1.3%3.6%
Net debt to EBITDA6.1x2.4x
Dividends and buybacks$76M$35M
Change in diluted share count−2.2%−0.2%
Last close$154.87$64.77
P/E at the last close27.6×—
Insider trades, last 12 monthssold $207,544—
Piotroski F-score5 of 96 of 9
Amounts in each company's own currency, US$ unless marked (a foreign company may report in another), each company's latest fiscal year from its 10-K, or 20-F or 40-F for a foreign company. Growth rates compare with the year before; the five-year rate is the average a year. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending; return on capital is after-tax operating income over the money invested in the business; P/E is the last close over the latest earnings per share. Banks are measured differently (return on equity, efficiency ratio), so some rows apply to one company only.

Ten years

Revenue
US$ billions, fiscal years
Quaker ChemicalStepan
Operating margin
Percent of revenue
Quaker ChemicalStepan
Free cash flow
US$ billions. Cash from operations minus capital expenditure.
Quaker ChemicalStepan

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Source: the companies' Form 10-K filings, from SEC EDGAR, and the last close. For information only, not investment advice: the figures describe results, not which company is the better investment. The Filing Desk is not affiliated with either company. Full figures on the Quaker Chemical and Stepan pages.