LOW vs. SCL
LOW (Lowe's Companies, Inc.) and SCL (Stepan Company) are both stocks. LOW operates in Home Improvement Retail (Consumer Cyclical), while SCL operates in Specialty Chemicals (Basic Materials). Over the past 10 years, LOW returned 11.83%/yr vs 1.56%/yr for SCL. Their 0.27 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.
Performance
LOW vs. SCL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LOW achieves a -12.49% return, which is significantly lower than SCL's 37.52% return. Over the past 10 years, LOW has outperformed SCL with an annualized return of 11.83%, while SCL has yielded a comparatively lower 1.56% annualized return.
LOW
- 1D
- -1.08%
- 1M
- -5.78%
- 6M
- -21.33%
- YTD
- -12.49%
- 1Y
- -5.14%
- 3Y*
- -1.71%
- 5Y*
- 3.51%
- 10Y*
- 11.83%
- ALL TIME*
- 15.80%
SCL
- 1D
- -1.43%
- 1M
- 14.93%
- 6M
- 13.05%
- YTD
- 37.52%
- 1Y
- 30.41%
- 3Y*
- -10.03%
- 5Y*
- -9.65%
- 10Y*
- 1.56%
- ALL TIME*
- 8.65%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $697.98M | $655.53M | $672.08M | |
| $10.89M | $8.99M | $7.98M |
LOW vs. SCL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LOW Lowe's Companies, Inc. | -12.49% | -0.33% | 13.01% | 14.03% | -21.49% | 63.34% | 36.40% | 32.23% | 1.22% | 33.29% |
SCL Stepan Company | 37.52% | -24.60% | -30.29% | -9.74% | -12.91% | 5.24% | 17.75% | 39.96% | -5.21% | -2.06% |
Correlation
The correlation between LOW and SCL is 0.41, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.41 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.45 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.45 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.41 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 17, 1992 | 0.27 |
The correlation between LOW and SCL shifts across timeframes, from 0.27 (all time) to 0.45 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
LOW:
$116.57B
SCL:
$1.46B
LOW:
$11.86
SCL:
-$0.12
LOW:
1.32
SCL:
0.60
LOW:
$88.43B
SCL:
$2.43B
LOW:
$29.89B
SCL:
$287.37M
LOW:
$11.50B
SCL:
$84.96M
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Return for Risk
LOW vs. SCL — Risk / Return Rank
LOW
SCL
LOW vs. SCL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) and Stepan Company (SCL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| LOW | SCL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.00 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.34 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.99 | 1.20 | -0.21 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.18 | 0.93 | -1.11 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.34 | 1.93 | -2.27 |
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Drawdowns
LOW vs. SCL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LOW drawdown since its inception was -62.52%, smaller than the maximum SCL drawdown of -66.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LOW and SCL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LOW | SCL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -62.52% | -66.78% | +4.26% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -28.97% | -32.78% | +3.81% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -28.97% | -54.02% | +25.05% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -33.86% | -64.48% | +30.62% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -48.63% | -66.78% | +18.15% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -26.89% | -48.41% | +21.52% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -16.63% | -17.15% | +0.52% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 15.23% | 15.81% | -0.58% |
Volatility
LOW vs. SCL - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) is 9.51%, while Stepan Company (SCL) has a volatility of 14.58%. This indicates that LOW experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SCL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LOW | SCL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.51% | 14.58% | -5.07% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 21.44% | 33.44% | -12.00% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.38% | 37.47% | -10.09% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 26.63% | 31.08% | -4.45% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 29.34% | 31.87% | -2.53% |
Dividends
LOW vs. SCL - Dividend Comparison
LOW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.33%, less than SCL's 2.45% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LOW Lowe's Companies, Inc. | 2.33% | 1.95% | 1.82% | 1.93% | 1.86% | 1.08% | 1.40% | 1.72% | 1.93% | 1.64% | 1.77% | 1.34% |
SCL Stepan Company | 2.45% | 3.27% | 2.33% | 1.55% | 1.63% | 1.01% | 0.95% | 1.00% | 1.25% | 1.06% | 0.95% | 1.47% |
Financials
LOW vs. SCL - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Lowe's Companies, Inc. and Stepan Company. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
LOW vs. SCL - Profitability Comparison
LOW - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported a gross profit of 7.54B and revenue of 23.08B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 32.7%.
SCL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Stepan Company reported a gross profit of 99.98M and revenue of 684.11M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 14.6%.
LOW - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported an operating income of 2.55B and revenue of 23.08B, resulting in an operating margin of 11.1%.
SCL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Stepan Company reported an operating income of -28.23M and revenue of 684.11M, resulting in an operating margin of -4.1%.
LOW - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported a net income of 1.63B and revenue of 23.08B, resulting in a net margin of 7.1%.
SCL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Stepan Company reported a net income of 22.91M and revenue of 684.11M, resulting in a net margin of 3.4%.
Frequently Asked Questions
LOW and SCL have a correlation of 0.41, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SCL has higher volatility (14.58%) compared to LOW (9.51%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LOW dropped -62.52% vs SCL's -66.78%.
SCL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.82 vs -0.19), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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