Stepan Declares Quarterly Dividend

Stepan Declares Quarterly Dividend 


NORTHFIELD, Ill., Feb. 10  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of Directors of
Stepan Company today declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of
$0.1925 per share.  The dividend is payable on March 15, 2004, to common
stockholders of record on February 27, 2004.

As previously announced, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash
dividend on its five and one half percent (5.5%) convertible preferred stock at
the quarterly rate of $0.34375 per share.  Dividends are payable on February 27,
2004, to preferred stockholders of record on February 13, 2004.

The Board of Directors today approved the open market and private transaction
repurchase, from time to time, of 300,000 shares of common stock or the
equivalent in Stepan preferred stock, in addition to approximately 82,000 shares
remaining from its previous 600,000 share authorization.  This brings the total
authorization to 382,000 shares, which represents four and one half percent
(4.5%) of the 8.9 million common shares outstanding.

Stepan Company, headquartered in Northfield, Illinois, is a leading producer of
specialty and intermediate chemicals used in household, industrial, personal
care, agricultural, food and insulation-related products. The common and
preferred stocks are traded on the New York and Chicago Stock Exchanges under
the symbol SCL and SCLPR. 

DATASOURCE: Stepan Company



CONTACT:  James E. Hurlbutt, Stepan Company, [phone]

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