Stepan (SCL) 10-Q 27 Apr 17 2017 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Apr. 20, 2017
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2017
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Trading Symbol	SCL
Entity Registrant Name	STEPAN CO
Entity Central Index Key	94,049
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		22,469,827

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net Sales		$ 468,269	$ 445,897
Cost of Sales		376,171	352,398
Gross Profit		92,098	93,499
Operating Expenses:
Selling		13,485	13,690
Administrative		17,971	18,700
Research, development and technical services		13,421	13,782
Deferred compensation expense		376	2,720
Total Operating expenses		45,253	48,892
Business restructuring expenses (Note 14)		786
Operating Income		46,059	44,607
Other Income (Expense):
Interest, net		(2,992)	(3,614)
Other, net (Note 13)		1,263	(525)
Nonoperating Income (Expense), Total		(1,729)	(4,139)
Income Before Provision for Income Taxes		44,330	40,468
Provision for Income Taxes	[1]	12,418	12,549
Net Income	[1]	31,912	27,919	[2]
Net (Income) Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests (Note 2)		1	(3)
Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company(a)	[1]	$ 31,913	$ 27,916
Net Income Per Common Share Attributable to Stepan Company (Note 9):
Basic	[1]	$ 1.39	$ 1.23
Diluted	[1]	$ 1.37	$ 1.22
Shares Used to Compute Net Income Per Common Share Attributable to Stepan Company (Note 9):
Basic		22,901	22,733
Diluted	[1]	23,331	22,899
Dividends Declared Per Common Share		$ 0.21	$ 0.19
[1]	The 2016 amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2019-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.
[2]	Amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of ASU No. 2016-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.

Condensed Consolidated Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Statement Of Income And Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	[1]	$ 31,912	$ 27,919	[2]
Other comprehensive income:
Foreign currency translation adjustments (Note 10)		10,454	12,590
Defined benefit pension adjustments, net of tax (Note 10)		565	564
Derivative instrument activity, net of tax (Note 10)		(2)	(21)
Total other comprehensive income		11,017	13,133
Comprehensive income		42,929	41,052
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests (Note 2)		(12)	(14)
Comprehensive income attributable to Stepan Company		$ 42,917	$ 41,038
[1]	The 2016 amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2019-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.
[2]	Amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of ASU No. 2016-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.

Condensed Consolidated Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 197,809	$ 225,743
Receivables, net	287,491	263,408
Inventories (Note 6)	189,777	173,663
Other current assets	24,525	22,727
Total current assets	699,602	685,541
Property, Plant and Equipment:
Cost	1,534,929	1,513,478
Less: Accumulated depreciation	(950,822)	(930,764)
Property, plant and equipment, net	584,107	582,714
Goodwill, net	25,802	25,308
Other intangible assets, net	21,716	22,339
Long-term investments (Note 3)	25,560	24,055
Other non-current assets	13,645	13,933
Total assets	1,370,432	1,353,890
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 12)	27,848	28,154
Accounts payable	163,751	158,316
Accrued liabilities	80,011	110,795
Total current liabilities	271,610	297,265
Deferred income taxes	15,190	12,497
Long-term debt, less current maturities (Note 12)	288,898	288,859
Other non-current liabilities	120,177	119,353
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 7)
Equity:
Common stock, $1 par value; authorized 60,000,000 shares; Issued 25,970,037 shares in 2017 and 25,894,782 shares in 2016	25,970	25,895
Additional paid-in capital	161,113	158,042
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (Note 10)	(116,461)	(127,465)
Retained earnings	676,377	649,070
Less: Common treasury stock, at cost, 3,501,313 shares in 2017 and 3,470,084 shares in 2016	(73,766)	(70,938)
Total Stepan Company stockholders’ equity	673,233	634,604
Noncontrolling interests (Note 2)	1,324	1,312
Total equity	674,557	635,916
Total liabilities and equity	$ 1,370,432	$ 1,353,890

Condensed Consolidated Balance5

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Statement Of Financial Position [Abstract]
Common stock, par value	$ 1	$ 1
Common stock, shares authorized	60,000,000	60,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	25,970,037	25,894,782
Treasury stock, shares	3,501,313	3,470,084

Condensed Consolidated Stateme6

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income	[1]	$ 31,912	$ 27,919	[2]
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		18,707	18,070
Deferred compensation		376	2,720
Realized and unrealized (gains) losses on long-term investments		(1,645)	306
Stock-based compensation		1,385	2,423
Deferred income taxes		2,543	2,683
Other non-cash items		721	20
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Receivables, net		(20,263)	(36,263)
Inventories		(14,396)	(5,274)
Other current assets		(1,694)	(315)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(14,184)	(14,846)
Pension liabilities		(127)	156
Environmental and legal liabilities		24	837
Deferred revenues		(81)	(282)
Net Cash (Used In) Provided By Operating Activities	[3]	3,278	(1,846)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment		(20,396)	(19,340)
Business acquisition (Note 15)		(4,339)
Other, net		(1,887)	(3,119)
Net Cash Used In Investing Activities		(26,622)	(22,459)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Revolving debt and bank overdrafts, net			(3,588)
Other debt repayments		(441)	(159)
Dividends paid		(4,606)	(4,237)
Company stock repurchased		(1,500)	(908)
Stock option exercises		835	258
Other, net		(1,486)	(235)
Net Cash Used In Financing Activities	[3]	(7,198)	(8,869)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash		2,608	2,700
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents		(27,934)	(30,474)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period		225,743	176,143
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period		197,809	145,669
Supplemental Cash Flow Information
Cash payments (refunds) of income taxes, net of payments/refunds		5,603	(733)
Cash payments of interest		$ 2,164	$ 2,124
[1]	The 2016 amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2019-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.
[2]	Amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of ASU No. 2016-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.
[3]	The amounts for the first quarter of 2016 have been immaterially changed from the originally reported amounts as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of ASU No. 2019-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting

Condensed Consolidated Financia

Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements	1. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by Stepan Company (the Company), without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although management believes that the disclosures are adequate and make the information presented not misleading. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring accruals, necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2017, and its results of operations and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, have been included. These financial statements and related footnotes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related footnotes included in the Company’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Reconciliations of Equity

Reconciliations of Equity	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Reconciliations of Equity	2. RECONCILIATIONS OF EQUITY Below are reconciliations of total equity, Company equity and equity attributable to noncontrolling interests for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016: (In thousands) Total Equity Stepan Company Equity Noncontrolling Interests’ Equity (3) Balance at January 1, 2017 $ 635,916 $ 634,604 $ 1,312 Net income 31,912 31,913 (1 ) Dividends (4,606 ) (4,606 ) — Common stock purchases (1) (2,991 ) (2,991 ) — Stock option exercises 835 835 — Defined benefit pension adjustments, net of tax 565 565 — Translation adjustments 10,454 10,441 13 Derivative instrument activity, net of tax (2 ) (2 ) — Other (2) 2,474 2,474 — Balance at March 31, 2017 $ 674,557 $ 673,233 $ 1,324 (In thousands) Total Equity Stepan Company Equity Noncontrolling Interests’ Equity (3) Balance at January 1, 2016 $ 558,384 $ 556,984 $ 1,400 Net income (4) 27,919 27,916 3 Dividends (4,237 ) (4,237 ) — Common stock purchases (1) (1,143 ) (1,143 ) — Stock option exercises 258 258 — Defined benefit pension adjustments, net of tax 564 564 — Translation adjustments 12,590 12,579 11 Derivative instrument activity, net of tax (21 ) (21 ) — Other (2) (4) 1,929 1,929 — Balance at March 31, 2016 $ 596,243 $ 594,829 $ 1,414 ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) (4) Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	3. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS The following were the financial instruments held by the Company at March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, and the methods and assumptions used to estimate the instruments’ fair values: Cash and cash equivalents Carrying value approximated fair value because of the short maturity of the instruments. Derivative assets and liabilities Derivative assets and liabilities included the foreign currency exchange contracts discussed in Note 4. Fair value and carrying value were the same because the contracts were recorded at fair value. The fair values of the foreign currency contracts were calculated as the difference between the applicable forward foreign exchange rates at the reporting date and the contracted foreign exchange rates multiplied by the contracted notional amounts. See the table that follows the financial instrument descriptions for the reported fair values of derivative assets and liabilities. Long-term investments Long-term investments included the mutual fund assets the Company held to fund a portion of its deferred compensation liabilities and all of its non-qualified supplemental executive defined contribution obligations (see the defined contribution plans section of Note 8). Fair value and carrying value were the same because the mutual fund assets were recorded at fair value. Fair values for the mutual funds were calculated using the published market price per unit at the reporting date multiplied by the number of units held at the reporting date. See the table that follows the financial instrument descriptions for the reported fair value of long-term investments. Debt obligations The fair value of debt with original maturities greater than one year comprised the combined present values of scheduled principal and interest payments for each of the various loans, individually discounted at rates equivalent to those which could be obtained by the Company for new debt issues with durations equal to the average life to maturity of each loan. The fair values of the remaining Company debt obligations approximated their carrying values due to the short-term nature of the debt. The Company’s fair value measurements for debt fall within level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. At March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, the fair values and related carrying values of debt, including current maturities, were as follows (the fair value and carrying value amounts are presented without regard to unamortized debt issuance costs of $1,102,000 and $1,141,000 as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively): (In thousands) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Fair value $ 316,207 $ 316,364 Carrying value 317,848 318,154 The following tables present financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis at fair value as of March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, and the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall: (In thousands) March 31, 2017 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Mutual fund assets $ 25,560 $ 25,560 $ — $ — Derivative assets: Foreign currency contracts 671 — 671 — Total assets at fair value $ 26,231 $ 25,560 $ 671 $ — Derivative liabilities: Foreign currency contracts $ 185 $ — $ 185 $ — (In thousands) December 31, 2016 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Mutual fund assets $ 24,055 $ 24,055 $ — $ — Derivative assets: Foreign currency contracts 453 — 453 — Total assets at fair value $ 24,508 $ 24,055 $ 453 $ — Derivative liabilities : Foreign currency contracts $ 469 $ — $ 469 $ —

Derivative Instruments

Derivative Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Instruments	4. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS The Company is exposed to certain risks relating to its ongoing business operations. The primary risk managed by the use of derivative instruments is foreign currency exchange risk. The Company holds forward foreign currency exchange contracts that are not designated as any type of accounting hedge as defined by GAAP. The Company uses these contracts to manage its exposure to exchange rate fluctuations on certain Company subsidiary cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other obligation balances that are denominated in currencies other than the entities’ functional currencies. The forward foreign exchange contracts are recognized on the balance sheet as either an asset or a liability measured at fair value. Gains and losses arising from recording the foreign exchange contracts at fair value are reported in earnings as offsets to the losses and gains reported in earnings arising from the re-measurement of the asset and liability balances into the applicable functional currencies. At March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, the Company had open forward foreign currency exchange contracts, all with durations of one to three months, to buy or sell foreign currencies with U.S. dollar equivalent amounts of $32,021,000 and $33,372,000, respectively. The fair values of the derivative instruments held by the Company on March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, are disclosed in Note 3. Derivative instrument gains and losses for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, were immaterial. For amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (AOCI) into earnings for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, see Note 10.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	5. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION On March 31, 2017, the Company had stock options and stock awards outstanding under its 2006 Incentive Compensation Plan and stock options, stock awards and stock appreciation rights (SARs) outstanding under its 2011 Incentive Compensation Plan. SARs granted prior to 2015 are cash-settled, and SARs granted after 2014, including the 2017 grant, are stock-settled. Stock options and SARs granted prior to 2017 generally cliff vested after two years. Stock options and SARs granted in 2017 have a three-year graded vesting feature, with one-third of the awards vesting each year. The Company has elected the straight-line method of expense attribution for the stock options and SARs with the graded vesting feature. Compensation expense recorded for all stock options, stock awards and SARs was as follows: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 $ 1,385 $ 2,423 The year-over-year decline in stock-based compensation expense was primarily attributable to cash-settled SARs. SARs compensation expense decreased due to a decline in the fair values of cash-settled SARs that resulted from a decrease in the market value of Company common stock during the first quarter of 2017. The market value of Company common stock increased during the first quarter of 2016. Unrecognized compensation costs for stock options, stock awards and SARs were as follows: (In thousands) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Stock options $ 2,163 $ 895 Stock awards 7,569 5,514 SARs 4,495 1,859 The increases in unrecognized compensation costs for stock options, stock awards and SARs reflected the 2017 grants of: Shares Stock options 71,434 Stock awards (at target) 44,599 SARs 148,723 The unrecognized compensation costs at March 31, 2017, are expected to be recognized over weighted-average periods of 2.3 years, 2.0 years and 2.3 years for stock options, stock awards and SARs, respectively.

Inventories

Inventories	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventories	6. INVENTORIES The composition of inventories at March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, was as follows: (In thousands) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Finished goods $ 129,244 $ 127,597 Raw materials 60,533 46,066 Total inventories $ 189,777 $ 173,663 Inventories are priced primarily using the last-in, first-out inventory valuation method. If the first-in, first-out inventory valuation method had been used for all inventories, inventory balances would have been approximately $28,835,000 and $25,872,000 higher than reported at March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively.

Contingencies

Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies	7. CONTINGENCIES There are a variety of legal proceedings pending or threatened against the Company. Some of these proceedings may result in fines, penalties, judgments or costs being assessed against the Company at some future time. The Company’s operations are subject to extensive local, state and federal regulations, including the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and the Superfund amendments of 1986 (Superfund). Over the years, the Company has received requests for information related to or has been named by the government as a potentially responsible party (PRP) at a number of waste disposal sites where cleanup costs have been or may be incurred under CERCLA and similar state statutes. In addition, damages are being claimed against the Company in general liability actions for alleged personal injury or property damage in the case of some disposal and plant sites. The Company believes that it has made adequate provisions for the costs it may incur with respect to these sites. As of March 31, 2017, the Company estimated a range of possible environmental and legal losses of $25.6 million to $46.3 million. At March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, the Company’s accrued liability for such losses, which represented the Company’s best estimate within the estimated range of possible environmental and legal losses, was $25.8 million. Cash outlays related to legal and environmental matters approximated $0.4 million and $0.3 million for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. For certain sites, the Company has responded to information requests made by federal, state or local government agencies but has received no response confirming or denying the Company’s stated positions. As such, estimates of the total costs, or range of possible costs, of remediation, if any, or the Company’s share of such costs, if any, cannot be determined with respect to these sites. Consequently, the Company is unable to predict the effect thereof on the Company’s financial position, cash flows and results of operations. Given the information available, management believes the Company has no liability at these sites. However, in the event of one or more adverse determinations with respect to such sites in any annual or interim period, the effect on the Company’s cash flows and results of operations for those periods could be material. Based upon the Company’s present knowledge with respect to its involvement at these sites, the possibility of other viable entities’ responsibilities for cleanup, and the extended period over which any costs would be incurred, the Company believes that these matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position. Following are summaries of the material contingencies at March 31, 2017: Maywood, New Jersey Site The Company’s property in Maywood, New Jersey and property formerly owned by the Company adjacent to its current site and other nearby properties (Maywood site) were listed on the National Priorities List in September 1993 pursuant to the provisions of CERCLA because of certain alleged chemical contamination. Pursuant to an Administrative Order on Consent entered into between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Company for property formerly owned by the Company, and the issuance of an order by USEPA to the Company for property currently owned by the Company, the Company has completed various Remedial Investigation Feasibility Studies (RI/FS), and on September 24, 2014, USEPA issued its Record of Decision (ROD) for chemically-contaminated soil. USEPA has not yet issued a ROD for chemically-contaminated groundwater for the Maywood site. Based on the most current information available, the Company believes its recorded liability represents its best estimate of the cost of remediation for the Maywood site. The best estimate of the cost of remediation for the Maywood site could change as the Company continues to hold discussions with USEPA, as the design of the remedial action progresses, if a groundwater ROD is issued or if other PRPs are identified. The ultimate amount for which the Company is liable could differ from the Company’s current recorded liability. In April 2015, the Company entered into an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Administrative Order on Consent with USEPA which requires payment of certain costs and performance of certain investigative and design work for chemically-contaminated soil. Based on the Company’s review and analysis of this order, no changes to the Company’s recorded liability for claims associated with soil remediation of chemical contamination were required. In addition, under the terms of a settlement agreement reached on November 12, 2004, the U. S. Department of Justice and the Company agreed to fulfill the terms of a Cooperative Agreement reached in 1985 under which the United States will take title to and responsibility for radioactive waste removal at the Maywood site, including past and future remediation costs incurred by the United States. As such, the Company recorded no liability related to this settlement agreement. D’Imperio Property Site During the mid-1970’s, Jerome Lightman and the Lightman Drum Company disposed of hazardous substances at several sites in New Jersey. The Company was named as a PRP in a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey that involved the D’Imperio Property Site located in New Jersey. In 2016, the PRPs were provided with updated remediation cost estimates which were considered in the Company’s determination of its range of estimated possible losses and liability balance. The changes in range of possible losses and liability balance were immaterial. Remediation work is continuing at this site. Based on current information, the Company believes that its recorded liability represents its best estimate of the cost of remediation for the D’Imperio site. Depending on the ultimate cost of the remediation at this site, the amount for which the Company is liable could differ from the current estimates. Wilmington Site The Company is currently contractually obligated to contribute to the response costs associated with the Company’s formerly-owned site at 51 Eames Street, Wilmington, Massachusetts. Remediation at this site is being managed by its current owner, to whom the Company sold the property in 1980. Under the agreement, once total site remediation costs exceed certain levels, the Company is obligated to contribute up to five percent of future response costs associated with this site with no limitation on the ultimate amount of contributions. To date, the Company has paid the current owner $2.5 million for the Company’s portion of environmental response costs. The Company has recorded a liability for its portion of the estimated remediation costs for the site. Depending on the ultimate cost of the remediation at this site, the amount for which the Company is liable could differ from the current estimates. The Company and other prior owners also entered into an agreement in April 2004 waiving certain statute of limitations defenses for claims which may be filed by the Town of Wilmington, Massachusetts, in connection with this site. While the Company has denied any liability for any such claims, the Company agreed to this waiver while the parties continue to discuss the resolution of any potential claim which may be filed. The Company believes that based on current information its recorded liability for the claims related to this site is adequate. However, depending on the ultimate cost of the remediation at this site, the amount for which the Company is liable could differ from the current estimates. Other U.S. Sites Through the regular environmental monitoring of its plant production sites, the Company discovered levels of chemical contamination that were above thresholds allowed by law at two of its U.S plants. The Company voluntarily reported its results to the applicable state environmental agencies. As a result, the Company is required to perform self-remediation of the affected areas. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company recognized a charge for the estimated cost of remediating the sites. Based on current information, the Company believes that its recorded liability for the remediation is adequate. However, actual costs could differ from current estimates.

Postretirement Benefit Plans

Postretirement Benefit Plans	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Postretirement Benefit Plans	8. POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS Defined Benefit Pension Plans The Company sponsors various funded qualified and unfunded non-qualified defined benefit pension plans, the most significant of which cover employees in the U.S. and U.K. locations. The U.S. and U.K. defined benefit pension plans are frozen and service benefits are no longer being accrued. Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 2017 2016 Interest cost $ 1,661 $ 1,729 $ 143 $ 193 Expected return on plan assets (2,321 ) (2,254 ) (192 ) (238 ) Amortization of net actuarial loss 788 882 92 20 Net periodic benefit cost (income) $ 128 $ 357 $ 43 $ (25 ) Employer Contributions U.S. Plans As a result of pension funding relief provisions included in the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014, the Company expects to make no 2017 contributions to the funded U.S. qualified defined benefit plans. Approximately $312,000 is expected to be paid related to the unfunded non-qualified plans in 2017. Of such amount, $143,000 had been paid related to the non-qualified plans as of March 31, 2017. U.K. Plan The Company’s U. K. subsidiary expects to contribute approximately $300,000 to its defined benefit pension plan in 2017. Of such amount, $123,000 had been contributed to the plan as of March 31, 2017. Defined Contribution Plans The Company sponsors retirement savings defined contribution plans that cover U.S. and U.K. employees. The Company also sponsors a qualified profit sharing plan for its U.S. employees. The retirement savings and profit sharing defined contribution plans include a qualified plan and a non-qualified supplemental executive plan. Defined contribution plan expenses for the Company’s retirement savings and profit sharing plans were as follows: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Retirement savings plans $ 1,259 $ 1,291 Profit sharing plan 1,843 1,717 Total defined contribution expense $ 3,102 $ 3,008 The Company funds the obligations of its non-qualified supplemental executive defined contribution plans (supplemental plans) through a rabbi trust. The trust comprises various mutual fund investments selected by the participants of the supplemental plans. In accordance with the accounting guidance for rabbi trust arrangements, the assets of the trust and the obligations of the supplemental plans are reported on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company elected the fair value option for the mutual fund investment assets so that offsetting changes in the mutual fund values and defined contribution plan obligations would be recorded in earnings in the same period. Therefore, the mutual funds are reported at fair value with any subsequent changes in fair value recorded in the consolidated statements of income. The liabilities related to the supplemental plans increase (i.e., supplemental plan expense is recognized) when the value of the trust assets appreciates and decrease when the value of the trust assets declines (i.e., supplemental plan income is recognized). At March 31, 2017, the balance of the trust assets was $1,846,000, which equaled the balance of the supplemental plan liabilities (see the long-term investments section in Note 3 for further information regarding the Company’s mutual fund assets).

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	9. EARNINGS PER SHARE Below are the computations of basic and diluted earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016: (In thousands, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Computation of Basic Earnings per Share Net income attributable to Stepan Company $ 31,913 $ 27,916 Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding 22,901 22,733 Basic earnings per share $ 1.39 $ 1.23 Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share Net income attributable to Stepan Company $ 31,913 $ 27,916 Weighted-average number of shares outstanding 22,901 22,733 Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of options (under treasury stock method) (1) 183 133 Add weighted-average net shares related to unvested stock awards (under treasury stock method) 8 4 Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of SARs (under treasury stock method) (1) 142 –– Add weighted-average contingently issuable net shares related to performance stock awards (under treasury stock method) 97 29 Weighted-average shares applicable to diluted earnings 23,331 22,899 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.37 $ 1.22 (1)

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	10. ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Below is the change in the Company’s AOCI balance by component (net of income taxes) for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016: (In thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments Defined Benefit Pension Plan Adjustments Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments Total Balance at December 31, 2015 $ (88,337 ) $ (36,825 ) $ 74 $ (125,088 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications 12,579 — (23 ) 12,556 Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 564 2 566 Net current-period other comprehensive income 12,579 564 (21 ) 13,122 Balance at March 31, 2016 $ (75,758 ) $ (36,261 ) $ 53 $ (111,966 ) Balance at December 31, 2016 $ (96,775 ) $ (30,790 ) $ 100 $ (127,465 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications 10,441 — — 10,441 Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 565 (2 ) 563 Net current-period other comprehensive income 10,441 565 (2 ) 11,004 Balance at March 31, 2017 $ (86,334 ) $ (30,225 ) $ 98 $ (116,461 ) Information regarding the reclassifications out of AOCI for the three month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, is displayed below: (In thousands) Amount Reclassified from AOCI (a) AOCI Components Three Months Ended March 31 Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statements of Income 2017 2016 Amortization of defined benefit pension actuarial losses $ (880 ) $ (902 ) (b) 315 338 Tax benefit $ (565 ) $ (564 ) Net of tax Gains and losses on cash flow hedges: Interest rate contracts $ — $ (6 ) Interest, net Foreign exchange contracts 2 2 Cost of sales 2 (4 ) Total before tax –– 2 Tax benefit $ 2 $ (2 ) Net of tax Total reclassifications for the period $ (563 ) $ (566 ) Net of tax (a) Amounts in parentheses denote expense to statement of income. (b) This component of accumulated other comprehensive income is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost (see Note 8 for additional details).

Segment Reporting

Segment Reporting	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting	11. SEGMENT REPORTING The Company has three reportable segments: Surfactants, Polymers and Specialty Products. Net sales by segment for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, were as follows: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Segment Net Sales Surfactants $ 322,603 $ 309,960 Polymers 126,610 113,898 Specialty Products 19,056 22,039 Total $ 468,269 $ 445,897 Segment operating income and reconciliations of segment operating income to consolidated income before income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, are summarized below: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Segment Operating Income Surfactants $ 38,237 $ 37,245 Polymers 21,399 22,197 Specialty Products 1,275 2,333 Segment operating income 60,911 61,775 Business restructuring (786 ) — Unallocated corporate expenses (1) (14,066 ) (17,168 ) Consolidated operating income 46,059 44,607 Interest expense, net (2,992 ) (3,614 ) Other, net 1,263 (525 ) Consolidated income before income taxes $ 44,330 $ 40,468 (1) Unallocated corporate expenses primarily comprise corporate administrative expenses (e.g., corporate finance, legal, human resources, information systems, deferred compensation and environmental remediation) that are not included in segment operating income and not used to evaluate segment performance.

Debt

Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	12. DEBT At March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, debt comprised the following: (In thousands) Maturity Dates March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Unsecured private placement notes 3.95% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $373 and $382 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2021-2027 $ 99,627 $ 99,618 3.86% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $378 and $390 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2019-2025 99,622 99,610 4.86% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $216 and $225 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2017-2023 64,784 64,775 5.88% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $111 and $116 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2016-2022 34,175 34,170 5.69% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $24 and $28 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2016-2018 11,404 11,400 Debt of foreign subsidiaries Unsecured bank debt, foreign currency 2017 436 432 Secured bank debt, foreign currency 2017 6,698 7,008 Total debt $ 316,746 $ 317,013 Less current maturities 27,848 28,154 Long-term debt $ 288,898 $ 288,859 The Company has a committed $125,000,000 multi-currency revolving credit agreement that expires on July 10, 2019. The Company maintains standby letters of credit under its workers’ compensation insurance agreements and for other purposes, as needed from time to time, which are issued under the revolving credit agreement. As of March 31, 2017, the Company had outstanding letters of credit totaling $4,927,000 and no outstanding debt under this agreement. There was $120,073,000 available under the revolving credit agreement as of March 31, 2017. The various loan agreements contain provisions which, among others, require maintenance of certain financial ratios and place limitations on additional debt, investments and payment of dividends. Based on the loan agreement provisions that place limitations on dividend payments, unrestricted retained earnings (i.e., retained earnings available for dividend distribution) were $176,124,000 and $157,606,000 at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

Other, Net

Other, Net	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]
Other, Net	13. OTHER, NET Other, net in the consolidated statements of income included the following: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Foreign exchange losses $ (484 ) $ (311 ) Investment income 102 92 Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments 1,645 (306 ) Other, net $ 1,263 $ (525 )

Business Restructuring

Business Restructuring	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Restructuring And Related Activities [Abstract]
Business Restructuring	14. BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING In May 2016, the Company announced plans to shut down its Longford Mills, Ontario, Canada (Longford Mills) manufacturing facility, a part of the Surfactant reportable segment, by December 31, 2016. The shutdown plan was developed as an effort to improve the Company’s asset utilization in North America and to reduce the Company’s fixed cost base. Manufacturing operations of the Longford Mills plant ceased by the end of 2016, and production of goods manufactured at the facility was transferred to other Company North American production sites. Decommissioning of the assets is expected to continue throughout 2017. To date, $3,603,000 of restructuring expense has been recognized, reflecting $1,594,000 of termination benefits for approximately 30 employees and $2,009,000 for other expenses, principally asset decommissioning costs. In total, restructuring expenses related to the Longford Mills shutdown are expected to approximate $4,500,000. Below is a reconciliation of the December 31, 2016 and the March 31, 2017 restructuring liabilities: (In thousands) Termination Benefits Other Expense Total Restructuring liability at December 31, 2016 $ 1,548 $ 437 $ 1,985 Expense recognized — 786 786 Amounts paid (550 ) (928 ) (1,478 ) Foreign currency translation 17 6 23 Restructuring liability at March 31, 2017 $ 1,015 $ 301 $ 1,316

Acquisition

Acquisition	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisition	15. ACQUISITION O n October 3, 2016, the Company’s subsidiary in Brazil acquired the commercial business of Tebras Tensoativos do Brazil Ltda. (Tebras) and the sulfonation production facility of PBC Industria Quimica Ltda. (PBC). The original purchase price of the acquisitions was R$93,309,000 (approximately $29,075,000), of which R$70,000,000 (approximately $21,812,000) was paid from cash on hand, R$9,000,000 (approximately $2,804,000) was deposited in escrow to cover certain potential losses as specified in the purchase agreement and R$14,309,000 (approximately $4,459,000) for working capital adjustments was unpaid pending agreement on the adjustment amounts. In the first quarter of 2017, the Company settled on and paid the working capital adjustment amounts that were outstanding at December 31, 2016. The payment totaled R$13,925,000 (approximately $4,339,000), which made the adjusted purchase price of the acquisitions R$92,925,000 (approximately $28,955,000). As a result of the change in purchase price, the amount of the purchase price allocated to goodwill changed from $14,327,000 to $14,207,000. The values of all other assets acquired and liabilities assumed remained as previously reported. In addition, the change in purchase price had no impact on the Company’s current or previously reported results of operations. The following table summarizes the assets acquired and liabilities assumed: (In thousands) Assets: Current assets $ 5,165 Property, plant and equipment 5,716 Identifiable intangible assets 7,354 Goodwill 14,207 Total assets acquired $ 32,442 Liabilities: Current liabilities $ 408 Deferred tax liability 3,079 Total liabilities assumed $ 3,487 Net assets acquired $ 28,955 The acquired goodwill, which was assigned entirely to the Company’s Surfactant segment, is not tax deductible. The goodwill reflects the opportunity of introducing the Company’s broad line of surfactant products to the acquired entities’ large customer base. Identifiable intangible assets included customer relationships ($4,331,000), a supply contract ($2,555,000) and non-compete agreements ($468,000). The amortization period for these intangibles at the time of acquisition were 13 years, four years and five years, respectively. The Company continues to evaluate the purchase price allocation, including the estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Any changes to these amounts during the measurement period may result in an adjustment to the recorded amount of goodwill.

Recent Accounting Pronouncement

Recent Accounting Pronouncements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Changes And Error Corrections [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	16. RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-9, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330):, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-2, Leases (Topic 842) In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-4, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-7, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost

Recent Accounting Pronounceme23

Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Changes And Error Corrections [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-9, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330):, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-2, Leases (Topic 842) In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-4, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-7, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost

Reconciliations of Equity (Tabl

Reconciliations of Equity (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Reconciliations of Total Equity	Below are reconciliations of total equity, Company equity and equity attributable to noncontrolling interests for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016: (In thousands) Total Equity Stepan Company Equity Noncontrolling Interests’ Equity (3) Balance at January 1, 2017 $ 635,916 $ 634,604 $ 1,312 Net income 31,912 31,913 (1 ) Dividends (4,606 ) (4,606 ) — Common stock purchases (1) (2,991 ) (2,991 ) — Stock option exercises 835 835 — Defined benefit pension adjustments, net of tax 565 565 — Translation adjustments 10,454 10,441 13 Derivative instrument activity, net of tax (2 ) (2 ) — Other (2) 2,474 2,474 — Balance at March 31, 2017 $ 674,557 $ 673,233 $ 1,324 (In thousands) Total Equity Stepan Company Equity Noncontrolling Interests’ Equity (3) Balance at January 1, 2016 $ 558,384 $ 556,984 $ 1,400 Net income (4) 27,919 27,916 3 Dividends (4,237 ) (4,237 ) — Common stock purchases (1) (1,143 ) (1,143 ) — Stock option exercises 258 258 — Defined benefit pension adjustments, net of tax 564 564 — Translation adjustments 12,590 12,579 11 Derivative instrument activity, net of tax (21 ) (21 ) — Other (2) (4) 1,929 1,929 — Balance at March 31, 2016 $ 596,243 $ 594,829 $ 1,414 ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) (4) Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Values and Related Carrying Values of Debt	At March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, the fair values and related carrying values of debt, including current maturities, were as follows (the fair value and carrying value amounts are presented without regard to unamortized debt issuance costs of $1,102,000 and $1,141,000 as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively): (In thousands) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Fair value $ 316,207 $ 316,364 Carrying value 317,848 318,154
Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis at Fair Value	The following tables present financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis at fair value as of March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, and the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall: (In thousands) March 31, 2017 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Mutual fund assets $ 25,560 $ 25,560 $ — $ — Derivative assets: Foreign currency contracts 671 — 671 — Total assets at fair value $ 26,231 $ 25,560 $ 671 $ — Derivative liabilities: Foreign currency contracts $ 185 $ — $ 185 $ — (In thousands) December 31, 2016 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Mutual fund assets $ 24,055 $ 24,055 $ — $ — Derivative assets: Foreign currency contracts 453 — 453 — Total assets at fair value $ 24,508 $ 24,055 $ 453 $ — Derivative liabilities : Foreign currency contracts $ 469 $ — $ 469 $ —

Stock-Based Compensation (Table

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Compensation Expense Recorded for All Stock Options, Stock Awards and SARs	Compensation expense recorded for all stock options, stock awards and SARs was as follows: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 $ 1,385 $ 2,423
Unrecognized Compensation Costs for Stock Options, Stock Awards and SARs	Unrecognized compensation costs for stock options, stock awards and SARs were as follows: (In thousands) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Stock options $ 2,163 $ 895 Stock awards 7,569 5,514 SARs 4,495 1,859
Share Based Payment Awards Granted in Period	The increases in unrecognized compensation costs for stock options, stock awards and SARs reflected the 2017 grants of: Shares Stock options 71,434 Stock awards (at target) 44,599 SARs 148,723

Inventories (Tables)

Inventories (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Composition of Inventories	The composition of inventories at March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, was as follows: (In thousands) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Finished goods $ 129,244 $ 127,597 Raw materials 60,533 46,066 Total inventories $ 189,777 $ 173,663

Postretirement Benefit Plans (T

Postretirement Benefit Plans (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost	Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 2017 2016 Interest cost $ 1,661 $ 1,729 $ 143 $ 193 Expected return on plan assets (2,321 ) (2,254 ) (192 ) (238 ) Amortization of net actuarial loss 788 882 92 20 Net periodic benefit cost (income) $ 128 $ 357 $ 43 $ (25 )
Defined Contribution Plan Expenses for Company's Retirement Savings Plans and Profit Sharing Plan	Defined contribution plan expenses for the Company’s retirement savings and profit sharing plans were as follows: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Retirement savings plans $ 1,259 $ 1,291 Profit sharing plan 1,843 1,717 Total defined contribution expense $ 3,102 $ 3,008

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share	Below are the computations of basic and diluted earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016: (In thousands, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Computation of Basic Earnings per Share Net income attributable to Stepan Company $ 31,913 $ 27,916 Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding 22,901 22,733 Basic earnings per share $ 1.39 $ 1.23 Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share Net income attributable to Stepan Company $ 31,913 $ 27,916 Weighted-average number of shares outstanding 22,901 22,733 Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of options (under treasury stock method) (1) 183 133 Add weighted-average net shares related to unvested stock awards (under treasury stock method) 8 4 Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of SARs (under treasury stock method) (1) 142 –– Add weighted-average contingently issuable net shares related to performance stock awards (under treasury stock method) 97 29 Weighted-average shares applicable to diluted earnings 23,331 22,899 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.37 $ 1.22 (1)

Accumulated Other Comprehensi30

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Summary of Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Below is the change in the Company’s AOCI balance by component (net of income taxes) for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016: (In thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments Defined Benefit Pension Plan Adjustments Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments Total Balance at December 31, 2015 $ (88,337 ) $ (36,825 ) $ 74 $ (125,088 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications 12,579 — (23 ) 12,556 Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 564 2 566 Net current-period other comprehensive income 12,579 564 (21 ) 13,122 Balance at March 31, 2016 $ (75,758 ) $ (36,261 ) $ 53 $ (111,966 ) Balance at December 31, 2016 $ (96,775 ) $ (30,790 ) $ 100 $ (127,465 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications 10,441 — — 10,441 Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 565 (2 ) 563 Net current-period other comprehensive income 10,441 565 (2 ) 11,004 Balance at March 31, 2017 $ (86,334 ) $ (30,225 ) $ 98 $ (116,461 )
Summary of Amounts Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Information regarding the reclassifications out of AOCI for the three month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, is displayed below: (In thousands) Amount Reclassified from AOCI (a) AOCI Components Three Months Ended March 31 Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statements of Income 2017 2016 Amortization of defined benefit pension actuarial losses $ (880 ) $ (902 ) (b) 315 338 Tax benefit $ (565 ) $ (564 ) Net of tax Gains and losses on cash flow hedges: Interest rate contracts $ — $ (6 ) Interest, net Foreign exchange contracts 2 2 Cost of sales 2 (4 ) Total before tax –– 2 Tax benefit $ 2 $ (2 ) Net of tax Total reclassifications for the period $ (563 ) $ (566 ) Net of tax (a) Amounts in parentheses denote expense to statement of income. (b) This component of accumulated other comprehensive income is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost (see Note 8 for additional details).

Segment Reporting (Tables)

Segment Reporting (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Operating Segment	The Company has three reportable segments: Surfactants, Polymers and Specialty Products. Net sales by segment for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, were as follows: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Segment Net Sales Surfactants $ 322,603 $ 309,960 Polymers 126,610 113,898 Specialty Products 19,056 22,039 Total $ 468,269 $ 445,897
Reconciliation of Segment Information to Consolidated Financial Statements	Segment operating income and reconciliations of segment operating income to consolidated income before income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, are summarized below: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Segment Operating Income Surfactants $ 38,237 $ 37,245 Polymers 21,399 22,197 Specialty Products 1,275 2,333 Segment operating income 60,911 61,775 Business restructuring (786 ) — Unallocated corporate expenses (1) (14,066 ) (17,168 ) Consolidated operating income 46,059 44,607 Interest expense, net (2,992 ) (3,614 ) Other, net 1,263 (525 ) Consolidated income before income taxes $ 44,330 $ 40,468 (1) Unallocated corporate expenses primarily comprise corporate administrative expenses (e.g., corporate finance, legal, human resources, information systems, deferred compensation and environmental remediation) that are not included in segment operating income and not used to evaluate segment performance.

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	At March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, debt comprised the following: (In thousands) Maturity Dates March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Unsecured private placement notes 3.95% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $373 and $382 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2021-2027 $ 99,627 $ 99,618 3.86% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $378 and $390 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2019-2025 99,622 99,610 4.86% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $216 and $225 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2017-2023 64,784 64,775 5.88% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $111 and $116 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2016-2022 34,175 34,170 5.69% (net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $24 and $28 for 2017 and 2016, respectively) 2016-2018 11,404 11,400 Debt of foreign subsidiaries Unsecured bank debt, foreign currency 2017 436 432 Secured bank debt, foreign currency 2017 6,698 7,008 Total debt $ 316,746 $ 317,013 Less current maturities 27,848 28,154 Long-term debt $ 288,898 $ 288,859

Other, Net (Tables)

Other, Net (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]
Other Net in Consolidated Statements of Income	Other, net in the consolidated statements of income included the following: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31 2017 2016 Foreign exchange losses $ (484 ) $ (311 ) Investment income 102 92 Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments 1,645 (306 ) Other, net $ 1,263 $ (525 )

Business Restructuring (Tables)

Business Restructuring (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Restructuring And Related Activities [Abstract]
Reconciliation of Restructuring Liabilities	Below is a reconciliation of the December 31, 2016 and the March 31, 2017 restructuring liabilities: (In thousands) Termination Benefits Other Expense Total Restructuring liability at December 31, 2016 $ 1,548 $ 437 $ 1,985 Expense recognized — 786 786 Amounts paid (550 ) (928 ) (1,478 ) Foreign currency translation 17 6 23 Restructuring liability at March 31, 2017 $ 1,015 $ 301 $ 1,316

Acquisition (Tables)

Acquisition (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Business And Asset Acquisition [Abstract]
Summary of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed	The following table summarizes the assets acquired and liabilities assumed: (In thousands) Assets: Current assets $ 5,165 Property, plant and equipment 5,716 Identifiable intangible assets 7,354 Goodwill 14,207 Total assets acquired $ 32,442 Liabilities: Current liabilities $ 408 Deferred tax liability 3,079 Total liabilities assumed $ 3,487 Net assets acquired $ 28,955

Reconciliations of Equity - Rec

Reconciliations of Equity - Reconciliations of Total Equity (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Reconciliations of total equity
Beginning Balance		$ 635,916	$ 558,384
Net income	[1]	31,912	27,919	[2]
Dividends		(4,606)	(4,237)
Common stock purchases	[3]	(2,991)	(1,143)
Stock option exercises		835	258
Defined benefit pension adjustments, net of tax		565	564
Translation adjustments		10,454	12,590
Derivative instrument activity, net of tax		(2)	(21)
Other	[4]	2,474	1,929	[2]
Ending Balance		674,557	596,243
Stepan Company Equity [Member]
Reconciliations of total equity
Beginning Balance		634,604	556,984
Net income		31,913	27,916	[2]
Dividends		(4,606)	(4,237)
Common stock purchases	[3]	(2,991)	(1,143)
Stock option exercises		835	258
Defined benefit pension adjustments, net of tax		565	564
Translation adjustments		10,441	12,579
Derivative instrument activity, net of tax		(2)	(21)
Other	[4]	2,474	1,929	[2]
Ending Balance		673,233	594,829
Noncontrolling Interests' Equity [Member]
Reconciliations of total equity
Beginning Balance	[5]	1,312	1,400
Net income	[5]	(1)	3	[2]
Translation adjustments	[5]	13	11
Ending Balance	[5]	$ 1,324	$ 1,414
[1]	The 2016 amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2019-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.
[2]	Amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of ASU No. 2016-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.
[3]	Includes the value of Company shares purchased in the open market and the value of Company common shares tendered by employees to settle statutory withholding taxes related to distributions of deferred performance awards and deferred management incentive compensation and to exercises of stock appreciation rights.
[4]	Primarily comprised of activity related to stock-based compensation and deferred compensation.
[5]	Reflects the noncontrolling interest in the Company’s China joint venture.

Fair Value Measurements - Addit

Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Unamortized debt issuance cost	$ 1,102,000	$ 1,141,000

Fair Value Measurements - Fair

Fair Value Measurements - Fair Values and Related Carrying Values of Debt (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying value	$ 317,848	$ 318,154
Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value	$ 316,207	$ 316,364

Fair Value Measurements - Finan

Fair Value Measurements - Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis at Fair Value (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Mutual fund assets	$ 25,560	$ 24,055
Derivative assets:
Foreign currency contracts	671	453
Total assets at fair value	26,231	24,508
Derivative liabilities:
Foreign currency contracts	185	469
Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Mutual fund assets	25,560	24,055
Derivative assets:
Total assets at fair value	25,560	24,055
Level 2 [Member]
Derivative assets:
Foreign currency contracts	671	453
Total assets at fair value	671	453
Derivative liabilities:
Foreign currency contracts	$ 185	$ 469

Derivative Instruments - Additi

Derivative Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative notional amount	$ 32,021,000	$ 33,372,000
Minimum [Member]
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative foreign currency exchange contracts settlement date	1 month
Maximum [Member]
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative foreign currency exchange contracts settlement date	3 months

Stock-Based Compensation - Addi

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Stock Option [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	3 years	2 years
Percentage of awards vesting in each year	33.33%
Weighted average period for amortization of unrecognized compensation cost	2 years 3 months 18 days
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	3 years	2 years
Percentage of awards vesting in each year	33.33%
Weighted average period for amortization of unrecognized compensation cost	2 years 3 months 18 days
Stock Awards [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average period for amortization of unrecognized compensation cost	2 years

Stock-Based Compensation - Comp

Stock-Based Compensation - Compensation Expense Recorded for All Stock Options, Stock Awards and SARs (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Compensation expense	$ 1,385	$ 2,423

Stock-Based Compensation - Unre

Stock-Based Compensation - Unrecognized Compensation Costs for Stock Options, Stock Awards and SARs (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Stock Option [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation costs for stock options, stock awards and SARs	$ 2,163	$ 895
Stock Awards [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation costs for stock options, stock awards and SARs	7,569	5,514
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation costs for stock options, stock awards and SARs	$ 4,495	$ 1,859

Stock-Based Compensation - Shar

Stock-Based Compensation - Share Based Payment Awards Granted in Period (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017shares
Stock Option [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock options granted in period	71,434
Stock Awards (at target) [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards granted in period	44,599
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards granted in period	148,723

Inventories - Composition of In

Inventories - Composition of Inventories (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Finished goods	$ 129,244	$ 127,597
Raw materials	60,533	46,066
Total inventories	$ 189,777	$ 173,663

Inventories - Additional Inform

Inventories - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
LIFO reserve	$ 28,835,000	$ 25,872,000

Contingencies - Additional Info

Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Environmental and legal losses	$ 25,800,000	$ 25,800,000
Cash outlays related to legal and environmental matters	$ 400,000	$ 300,000
Contribution for future response costs	5.00%
Payment of environmental response costs	$ 2,500,000
Minimum [Member]
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Environmental and legal losses	25,600,000
Maximum [Member]
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Environmental and legal losses	$ 46,300,000

Postretirement Benefit Plans -

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
United States [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Interest cost	$ 1,661	$ 1,729
Expected return on plan assets	(2,321)	(2,254)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	788	882
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	128	357
United Kingdom [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Interest cost	143	193
Expected return on plan assets	(192)	(238)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	92	20
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	$ 43	$ (25)

Postretirement Benefit Plans 49

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Defined Benefit Pension Plans - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)
U.S Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Expected payment related to qualified plan	$ 0
Expected payment related to non-qualified plan	312,000
Payments related to non-qualified plans	143,000
U.K Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Expected payment related to qualified plan	300,000
Employer contributions	$ 123,000

Postretirement Benefit Plans 50

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Defined Contribution Plan Expenses for the Company's Retirement Savings Plans and Profit Sharing Plan (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total defined contribution expense	$ 3,102	$ 3,008
Retirement Savings Plans [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total defined contribution expense	1,259	1,291
Profit Sharing Plan [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total defined contribution expense	$ 1,843	$ 1,717

Postretirement Benefit Plans 51

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Defined Contribution Plans - Additional Information (Detail)	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)
Defined Contribution Plans [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Balance of trust assets	$ 1,846,000

Earnings Per Share - Computatio

Earnings Per Share - Computations of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Computation of Basic Earnings per Share
Net income attributable to Stepan Company	[1]	$ 31,913	$ 27,916
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		22,901	22,733
Basic earnings per share	[1]	$ 1.39	$ 1.23
Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share
Net income attributable to Stepan Company		$ 31,913	$ 27,916
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		22,901	22,733
Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of options (under treasury stock method)	[2]	183	133
Add weighted-average net shares related to unvested stock awards (under treasury stock method)		8	4
Weighted-average shares applicable to diluted earnings	[1]	23,331	22,899
Diluted earnings per share	[1]	$ 1.37	$ 1.22
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]
Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share
Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of options (under treasury stock method)	[2]	142
Performance Stock Award [Member]
Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share
Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of options (under treasury stock method)		97	29
[1]	The 2016 amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2019-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.
[2]	Options/SARs to acquire 74,521 and 89,617 shares of Company common stock were excluded from the computations of diluted earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and March 31, 2016, because the effect of including the instruments would have been antidilutive.

Earnings Per Share - Computat53

Earnings Per Share - Computations of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (Parenthetical) (Detail) - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Options and Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]
Earnings Per Share Basic [Line Items]
Options to purchase shares of common stock were excluded from the computations of diluted earnings per share	74,521	89,617

Accumulated Other Comprehensi54

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) - Summary of Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	$ 634,604
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	10,441	$ 12,556
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	563	566
Net current-period other comprehensive income	11,004	13,122
Ending Balance	673,233
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	(96,775)	(88,337)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	10,441	12,579
Net current-period other comprehensive income	10,441	12,579
Ending Balance	(86,334)	(75,758)
Defined Benefit Pension Plan Adjustments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	(30,790)	(36,825)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	565	564
Net current-period other comprehensive income	565	564
Ending Balance	(30,225)	(36,261)
Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	100	74
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications		(23)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(2)	2
Net current-period other comprehensive income	(2)	(21)
Ending Balance	98	53
AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	(127,465)	(125,088)
Ending Balance	$ (116,461)	$ (111,966)

Accumulated Other Comprehensi55

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) - Summary of Amounts Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Income Before Provision for Income Taxes		$ 44,330	$ 40,468
Tax benefit	[1]	(12,418)	(12,549)
Interest, net		(2,992)	(3,614)
Cost of Sales		376,171	352,398
Defined Benefit Pension Plan Adjustments [Member] | Amounts Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Amortization of defined benefit pension actuarial losses	[2],[3]	(880)	(902)
Tax benefit	[2]	315	338
Income applicable to common stock	[2]	(565)	(564)
Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments [Member] | Amounts Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Income Before Provision for Income Taxes	[2]	2	(4)
Tax benefit	[2]		2
Income applicable to common stock	[2]	2	(2)
Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments [Member] | Interest rate contracts [Member] | Amounts Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Interest, net	[2]		(6)
Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member] | Amounts Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of Sales	[2]	2	2
AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Income applicable to common stock	[2]	$ (563)	$ (566)
[1]	The 2016 amounts for the noted line items have been immaterially changed from the amounts originally reported as a result of the Company’s fourth quarter 2016 adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2019-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.
[2]	Amounts in parentheses denote expense to statement of income.
[3]	This component of accumulated other comprehensive income is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost (see Note 8 for additional details).

Segment Reporting - Additional

Segment Reporting - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017Segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	3

Segment Reporting - Operating S

Segment Reporting - Operating Segment (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales	$ 468,269	$ 445,897
Surfactants [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales	322,603	309,960
Polymers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales	126,610	113,898
Specialty Products [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales	$ 19,056	$ 22,039

Segment Reporting - Reconciliat

Segment Reporting - Reconciliation of Segment Information to Consolidated Financial Statements (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income		$ 46,059	$ 44,607
Business restructuring		(786)
Interest expense, net		(2,992)	(3,614)
Other, net		1,263	(525)
Income Before Provision for Income Taxes		44,330	40,468
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income		60,911	61,775
Operating Segments [Member] | Surfactants [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income		38,237	37,245
Operating Segments [Member] | Polymers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income		21,399	22,197
Operating Segments [Member] | Specialty Products [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income		1,275	2,333
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Unallocated corporate expenses	[1]	$ (14,066)	$ (17,168)
[1]	Unallocated corporate expenses primarily comprise corporate administrative expenses (e.g., corporate finance, legal, human resources, information systems, deferred compensation and environmental remediation) that are not included in segment operating income and not used to evaluate segment performance.

Debt - Debt (Detail)

Debt - Debt (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 316,746	$ 317,013
Less current maturities	27,848	28,154
Long-term debt	288,898	288,859
Unsecured private placement 3.95% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 99,627	$ 99,618
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	3.95%	3.95%
Unsecured private placement 3.95% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,021	2,021
Unsecured private placement 3.95% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,027	2,027
Unsecured private placement 3.86% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 99,622	$ 99,610
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	3.86%	3.86%
Unsecured private placement 3.86% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,019	2,019
Unsecured private placement 3.86% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,025	2,025
Unsecured private placement 4.86% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 64,784	$ 64,775
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	4.86%	4.86%
Unsecured private placement 4.86% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,017	2,017
Unsecured private placement 4.86% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,023	2,023
Unsecured private placement 5.88% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 34,175	$ 34,170
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	5.88%	5.88%
Unsecured private placement 5.88% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,016	2,016
Unsecured private placement 5.88% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,022	2,022
Unsecured private placement 5.69% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 11,404	$ 11,400
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	5.69%	5.69%
Unsecured private placement 5.69% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,016	2,016
Unsecured private placement 5.69% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,018	2,018
Debt of foreign subsidiaries Unsecured bank debt, foreign currency [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 436	$ 432
Maturity Dates	2,017	2,017
Debt of foreign subsidiaries Secured bank debt, foreign currency [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 6,698	$ 7,008
Maturity Dates	2,017	2,017

Debt - Debt (Parenthetical) (De

Debt - Debt (Parenthetical) (Detail) - USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance cost	$ 1,102,000	$ 1,141,000
Unsecured private placement 3.95% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance cost	373,000	382,000
Unsecured private placement 3.86% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance cost	378,000	390,000
Unsecured private placement 4.86% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance cost	216,000	225,000
Unsecured private placement 5.88% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance cost	111,000	116,000
Unsecured private placement 5.69% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance cost	$ 24,000	$ 28,000

Debt - Additional Information (

Debt - Additional Information (Detail) - Multi currency revolving credit agreement [Member] - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit agreement	$ 125,000,000
Credit agreement expiry Date	Jul. 10, 2019
Letters of Credit Outstanding	$ 4,927,000
Debt Outstanding	0
Unused Revolving credit	120,073,000
Unrestricted retained earnings	$ 176,124,000	$ 157,606,000

Other, Net - Other Net in Conso

Other, Net - Other Net in Consolidated Statements of Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Other Nonoperating Income Expense [Abstract]
Foreign exchange losses	$ (484)	$ (311)
Investment income	102	92
Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments	1,645	(306)
Other, net	$ 1,263	$ (525)

Business Restructuring - Additi

Business Restructuring - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)Employees
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring	$ 786,000
Other Expense [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring	786,000
Longford Mills [Member] | Surfactants [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring	$ 3,603,000
Number positions eliminated | Employees	30
Expected restructuring expenses	$ 4,500,000
Longford Mills [Member] | Surfactants [Member] | Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring	1,594,000
Longford Mills [Member] | Surfactants [Member] | Other Expense [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring	$ 2,009,000

Business Restructuring - Reconc

Business Restructuring - Reconciliation of Restructuring Liabilities (Detail) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring liability at December 31, 2016	$ 1,985
Expense recognized	786
Amounts paid	(1,478)
Foreign currency translation	23
Restructuring liability at March 31, 2017	1,316
Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring liability at December 31, 2016	1,548
Amounts paid	(550)
Foreign currency translation	17
Restructuring liability at March 31, 2017	1,015
Other Expense [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring liability at December 31, 2016	437
Expense recognized	786
Amounts paid	(928)
Foreign currency translation	6
Restructuring liability at March 31, 2017	$ 301

Acquisitions - Additional Infor

Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail)	Oct. 03, 2016USD ($)	Oct. 03, 2016BRL	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017BRL	Oct. 03, 2016BRL
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Paid from cash on hand			$ 4,339,000
Tebras And PBC [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill, change in purchase price	$ 14,327,000		$ 14,207,000
Acquisition of intangible assets	7,354,000
Tebras And PBC [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition of intangible assets	4,331,000
Amortization periods for the identifiable intangible assets at the time of acquisition			13 years
Tebras And PBC [Member] | Supply Contract [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition of intangible assets	2,555,000
Amortization periods for the identifiable intangible assets at the time of acquisition			4 years
Tebras And PBC [Member] | Non-compete Agreements [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition of intangible assets	468,000
Amortization periods for the identifiable intangible assets at the time of acquisition			5 years
Tebras And PBC [Member] | Surfactants [Member] | Brazil [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Original purchase price of the acquisitions	29,075,000				BRL 93,309,000
Paid from cash on hand	21,812,000	BRL 70,000,000
Deposited in escrow	2,804,000				9,000,000
Unpaid working capital adjustments	$ 4,459,000				BRL 14,309,000
Working capital adjustment amount paid			$ 4,339,000	BRL 13,925,000
Adjusted purchase price of the acquisitions			$ 28,955,000	BRL 92,925,000

Acquisitions - Summary of Asset

Acquisitions - Summary of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Oct. 03, 2016
Assets:
Goodwill	$ 25,802	$ 25,308
Tebras And PBC [Member]
Assets:
Current assets			$ 5,165
Property, plant and equipment			5,716
Identifiable intangible assets			7,354
Goodwill			14,207
Total assets acquired			32,442
Liabilities:
Current liabilities			408
Deferred tax liability			3,079
Total liabilities assumed			3,487
Net assets acquired			$ 28,955