The Filing Desk

NewMarket vs Stepan

NewMarket NEU · Stepan SCL · Specialty Chemicals

NewMarket reported revenue of $2.7 billion in fiscal 2025, 1.2 times Stepan's $2.3 billion in fiscal 2025. NewMarket's revenue fell 2.2% in its latest year, and Stepan's grew 7.0%. NewMarket had an operating margin of 19.9%, against 3.4% at Stepan. Free cash flow was $491 million at NewMarket and $25 million at Stepan.

Side by side

NewMarketStepan
Latest fiscal yearFY2025, Dec 31, 2025FY2025, Dec 31, 2025
Revenue$2.7B$2.3B
Revenue growth−2.2%7.0%
Revenue growth a year, last 5 years6.3%4.5%
Gross margin31.5%11.6%
Operating margin19.9%3.4%
Net margin15.4%2.0%
Free cash flow$491M$25M
Free cash flow margin18.0%1.1%
Return on capital16.3%3.6%
Net debt to EBITDA1.2x2.4x
Dividends and buybacks$183M$35M
Change in diluted share count−1.8%−0.2%
Last close$878.03$64.77
P/E at the last close18.9×—
Insider trades, last 12 monthsbought $247,684, sold $0—
Piotroski F-score5 of 96 of 9
Amounts in each company's own currency, US$ 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
NewMarketStepan
Operating margin
Percent of revenue
NewMarketStepan
Free cash flow
US$ billions. Cash from operations minus capital expenditure.
NewMarketStepan

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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 NewMarket and Stepan pages.