Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Receives $152.33 Average Price Target from Brokerages

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the six brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $158.6667.

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Quaker Houghton from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Quaker Houghton from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th.

Quaker Houghton Stock Performance

Shares of KWR opened at $160.11 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.47, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $2.78 billion, a PE ratio of -326.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.33. Quaker Houghton has a 12 month low of $95.91 and a 12 month high of $162.10. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $141.82 and a 200-day moving average price of $135.69.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.14. Quaker Houghton had a positive return on equity of 8.64% and a negative net margin of 0.48%.The company had revenue of $493.84 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $475.06 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.89 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Quaker Houghton will post 7.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quaker Houghton Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.508 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Quaker Houghton’s payout ratio is -414.29%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quaker Houghton

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KWR. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Quaker Houghton in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. acquired a new position in Quaker Houghton during the second quarter valued at $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Quaker Houghton by 284.8% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 304 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in 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 during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in shares of Quaker Houghton during the 3rd quarter valued at about $66,000. 77.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.