Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Stock Price Down 5.6% on Disappointing Earnings

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) shares dropped 5.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The company traded as low as $160.39 and last traded at $160.4770. Approximately 223,881 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 65% from the average daily volume of 135,949 shares. The stock had previously closed at $169.97.

The specialty chemicals company reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $468.48 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $465.17 million. Quaker Houghton had a negative net margin of 0.48% and a positive return on equity of 8.64%. Quaker Houghton’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.33 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Quaker Houghton from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of Quaker Houghton in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Zacks Research raised Quaker Houghton from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $158.67.

Institutional Trading of Quaker Houghton

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KWR. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Quaker Houghton by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 68,059 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $9,345,000 after purchasing an additional 3,505 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 37.0% during the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 3,314 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $455,000 after buying an additional 895 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Quaker Houghton by 12,361.9% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,617 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $359,000 after buying an additional 2,596 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 14.4% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 756,988 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $103,942,000 after acquiring an additional 95,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Quaker Houghton during the 4th quarter valued at $2,222,000. 77.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Quaker Houghton Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $2.81 billion, a P/E ratio of -330.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.35. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $156.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $142.88.

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.