Stepan Declares Quarterly Dividend NORTHFIELD, Ill., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of Directors of Stepan Company today declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of $0.1925 per share. The dividend is payable on March 15, 2004, to common stockholders of record on February 27, 2004. As previously announced, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on its five and one half percent (5.5%) convertible preferred stock at the quarterly rate of $0.34375 per share. Dividends are payable on February 27, 2004, to preferred stockholders of record on February 13, 2004. The Board of Directors today approved the open market and private transaction repurchase, from time to time, of 300,000 shares of common stock or the equivalent in Stepan preferred stock, in addition to approximately 82,000 shares remaining from its previous 600,000 share authorization. This brings the total authorization to 382,000 shares, which represents four and one half percent (4.5%) of the 8.9 million common shares outstanding. Stepan Company, headquartered in Northfield, Illinois, is a leading producer of specialty and intermediate chemicals used in household, industrial, personal care, agricultural, food and insulation-related products. The common and preferred stocks are traded on the New York and Chicago Stock Exchanges under the symbol SCL and SCLPR. DATASOURCE: Stepan Company CONTACT: James E. Hurlbutt, Stepan Company, +1-847-446-7500

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