Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Receives $175.67 Average PT from Analysts

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the six research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $175.6667.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Quaker Houghton from $190.00 to $184.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research raised shares of Quaker Houghton from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $203.00 price target on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Quaker Houghton from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, March 1st.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quaker Houghton

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Quaker Houghton in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Quaker Houghton in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. bought a new position in Quaker Houghton in the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Quaker Houghton by 165.0% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 273 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Quaker Houghton by 284.8% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 304 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.46% of the company’s stock.

Quaker Houghton Price Performance

Shares of KWR opened at $120.52 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.42. The firm has a market cap of $2.09 billion, a PE ratio of -1,004.25, a PEG ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.34. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $154.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $142.52. Quaker Houghton has a twelve month low of $95.91 and a twelve month high of $183.01.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.71 by ($0.06). Quaker Houghton had a positive return on equity of 8.99% and a negative net margin of 0.13%.The business had revenue of $468.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $465.17 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.33 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Quaker Houghton will post 7.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Quaker Houghton Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 16th will be issued a $0.508 dividend. This represents a $2.03 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 16th. Quaker Houghton’s payout ratio is -1,691.67%.

About Quaker Houghton

Quaker Houghton is a global provider of process fluids, chemical specialties and sustainable solutions for industrial applications. The company develops and supplies metalworking fluids, coatings, and corrosion inhibitors, as well as heat transfer, lubrication and additive products designed to improve productivity and extend equipment life. Its portfolio addresses a range of end markets including automotive, aerospace, defense, energy, mining, agriculture and heavy industry.

The company traces its roots back to the founding of Quaker Chemical Corporation in 1918 and Houghton International in 1865.