Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the five research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $193.50.

KWR has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $203.00 target price on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Quaker Houghton from $190.00 to $184.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Quaker Houghton from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday.

Quaker Houghton Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:KWR opened at $120.55 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,004.46, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.43. Quaker Houghton has a 1-year low of $95.91 and a 1-year high of $183.01. 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 company has a 50 day moving average price of $145.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $140.78.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.71 by ($0.06). Quaker Houghton had a negative net margin of 0.13% and a positive return on equity of 8.99%. The company 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 company posted $1.33 EPS. Quaker Houghton’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Quaker Houghton will post 7.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Quaker Houghton Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Investors 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 purchased a new stake in shares of Quaker Houghton during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Quaker Houghton in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Quaker Houghton by 284.8% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 304 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 165.0% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 273 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 87.1% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 348 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.46% of the company’s stock.

Quaker Houghton Company Profile

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.