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Reconciliations of Equity - Reconciliations of Total Equity (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2016
Reconciliations of total equity |  |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance |  |  |  | $ 635,916 | $ 558,384 |
Net income | [1] | $ 21,853 | $ 21,367 | 81,661 | 77,787 |
Dividends |  |  |  | (13,841) | (12,732) |
Common stock purchases | [2] |  |  | (6,255) | (2,643) |
Stock option exercises |  |  |  | 3,127 | 3,290 |
Defined benefit pension adjustments, net of tax |  | 539 | 497 | 1,671 | 1,626 |
Translation adjustments |  | 9,837 | (2,213) | 26,288 | 7,685 |
Derivative instrument activity, net of tax |  | (2) |  | (7) | (27) |
Other | [3] |  |  | 7,711 | 6,362 | [4]
Ending Balance |  | 736,271 | 639,732 | 736,271 | 639,732 |
Stepan Company Equity [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliations of total equity |  |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance |  |  |  | 634,604 | 556,984 |
Net income |  |  |  | 81,694 | 77,774 |
Dividends |  |  |  | (13,841) | (12,732) |
Common stock purchases | [2] |  |  | (6,255) | (2,643) |
Stock option exercises |  |  |  | 3,127 | 3,290 |
Defined benefit pension adjustments, net of tax |  |  |  | 1,671 | 1,626 |
Translation adjustments |  |  |  | 26,229 | 7,722 |
Derivative instrument activity, net of tax |  |  |  | (7) | (27) |
Other | [3] |  |  | 7,711 | 6,362 | [4]
Ending Balance |  | 734,933 | 638,356 | 734,933 | 638,356 |
Noncontrolling Interests' Equity [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliations of total equity |  |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance | [5] |  |  | 1,312 | 1,400 |
Net income | [5] |  |  | (33) | 13 |
Translation adjustments | [5] |  |  | 59 | (37) |
Ending Balance | [5] | $ 1,338 | $ 1,376 | $ 1,338 | $ 1,376 |
[1] | The 2016 amounts for the noted 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. 2016-9, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.
[2] | Includes the value of shares of the Company’s common stock purchased in the open market and tendered by employees to settle statutory withholding taxes related to the receipt of performance awards, the receipt of deferred compensation distributions and the exercises of stock appreciation rights (SARs).
[3] | Primarily comprised of activity related to stock-based compensation and deferred compensation.
[4] | 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.
[5] | Reflects the noncontrolling interest in the Company’s China joint venture.

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