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Side-by-side financial comparison of STEPAN CO (SCL) and Virtu Financial, Inc. (VIRT). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Virtu Financial, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.1B vs $604.5M, roughly 1.8× STEPAN CO). Virtu Financial, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 31.6% vs 3.3%, a 28.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Virtu Financial, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (30.7% vs 1.9%). Over the past eight quarters, Virtu Financial, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (25.7% CAGR vs 4.2%).

Stepan Company is an American manufacturer of specialty chemicals headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois. The company was founded in 1932 by Alfred C. Stepan, Jr., and has approximately 2,000 employees. It is currently run by his grandson, F. Quinn Stepan, Jr. The company describes itself as the largest global merchant manufacturer of anionic surfactants, which are used to enhance the foaming and cleaning capabilities of detergents, shampoos, toothpastes, and cosmetics.

Virtu Financial, Inc. is an American high-frequency trading company. The company went public on the Nasdaq in 2015.

SCL vs VIRT — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
VIRT
VIRT
1.8× larger
VIRT
$1.1B
$604.5M
SCL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
VIRT
VIRT
+28.8% gap
VIRT
30.7%
1.9%
SCL
Higher net margin
VIRT
VIRT
28.4% more per $
VIRT
31.6%
3.3%
SCL
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
VIRT
VIRT
Annualised
VIRT
25.7%
4.2%
SCL

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Revenue
$604.5M
$1.1B
Net Profit
$19.7M
$346.6M
Gross Margin
10.7%
Operating Margin
4.7%
37.4%
Net Margin
3.3%
31.6%
Revenue YoY
1.9%
30.7%
Net Profit YoY
82.8%
EPS (diluted)
$0.86
$1.99

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
$604.5M
$1.1B
Q4 25
$553.9M
$969.9M
Q3 25
$590.3M
$824.8M
Q2 25
$594.7M
$999.6M
Q1 25
$593.3M
$837.9M
Q4 24
$525.6M
$834.3M
Q3 24
$546.8M
$706.8M
Q2 24
$556.4M
$693.0M
Net Profit
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
$19.7M
$346.6M
Q4 25
$5.0M
$139.9M
Q3 25
$10.8M
$77.6M
Q2 25
$11.3M
$151.2M
Q1 25
$19.7M
$99.7M
Q4 24
$3.4M
$94.1M
Q3 24
$23.6M
$60.0M
Q2 24
$9.5M
$66.6M
Gross Margin
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
10.7%
Q4 25
9.3%
Q3 25
12.0%
Q2 25
12.1%
Q1 25
12.7%
Q4 24
10.8%
Q3 24
13.8%
Q2 24
12.5%
Operating Margin
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
4.7%
37.4%
Q4 25
1.9%
35.4%
Q3 25
3.7%
21.8%
Q2 25
3.0%
34.7%
Q1 25
4.8%
26.7%
Q4 24
1.5%
24.3%
Q3 24
4.4%
20.8%
Q2 24
3.4%
22.4%
Net Margin
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
3.3%
31.6%
Q4 25
0.9%
14.4%
Q3 25
1.8%
9.4%
Q2 25
1.9%
15.1%
Q1 25
3.3%
11.9%
Q4 24
0.6%
11.3%
Q3 24
4.3%
8.5%
Q2 24
1.7%
9.6%
EPS (diluted)
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
$0.86
$1.99
Q4 25
$0.22
$1.54
Q3 25
$0.47
$0.86
Q2 25
$0.50
$1.65
Q1 25
$0.86
$1.08
Q4 24
$0.14
$1.03
Q3 24
$1.03
$0.64
Q2 24
$0.42
$0.71

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$973.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$328.4M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.2B
$2.2B
Total Assets
$2.3B
$25.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.28×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
$973.2M
Q4 25
$132.7M
$1.1B
Q3 25
$118.5M
$707.9M
Q2 25
$88.9M
$752.1M
Q1 25
$107.5M
$723.6M
Q4 24
$99.7M
$872.5M
Q3 24
$147.3M
$701.4M
Q2 24
$124.7M
$684.8M
Total Debt
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
$328.4M
Q4 25
$626.7M
$2.0B
Q3 25
$655.5M
$2.0B
Q2 25
$658.0M
$1.7B
Q1 25
$659.3M
$1.7B
Q4 24
$625.4M
$1.7B
Q3 24
$688.5M
$1.7B
Q2 24
$657.1M
$1.7B
Stockholders' Equity
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
$1.2B
$2.2B
Q4 25
$1.2B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$1.2B
$1.5B
Q2 25
$1.2B
$1.4B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$1.3B
Q4 24
$1.2B
$1.3B
Q3 24
$1.2B
$1.2B
Q2 24
$1.2B
$1.2B
Total Assets
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
$2.3B
$25.1B
Q4 25
$2.4B
$20.2B
Q3 25
$2.4B
$21.3B
Q2 25
$2.4B
$19.3B
Q1 25
$2.4B
$17.5B
Q4 24
$2.3B
$15.4B
Q3 24
$2.4B
$14.4B
Q2 24
$2.3B
$13.9B
Debt / Equity
SCL
SCL
VIRT
VIRT
Q1 26
0.28×
Q4 25
0.50×
1.29×
Q3 25
0.53×
1.40×
Q2 25
0.53×
1.24×
Q1 25
0.55×
1.33×
Q4 24
0.53×
1.39×
Q3 24
0.56×
1.41×
Q2 24
0.55×
1.41×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

SCL
SCL

Surfactants$453.7M75%
Polymers$130.0M22%
Specialty Products$20.8M3%

VIRT
VIRT

Trading income, net$789.1M72%
Commissions, net and technology services$186.6M17%
Other$119.6M11%

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