Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Sells 8,588 Shares of Quaker Houghton $KWR

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA cut its stake in Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 241,092 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 8,588 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned 1.39% of Quaker Houghton worth $31,764,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Quaker Houghton in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised 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 worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in Quaker Houghton by 54.4% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 673 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 237 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Quaker Houghton during the 2nd quarter valued at $78,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Quaker Houghton by 151.2% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 912 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $102,000 after buying an additional 549 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.46% of the company’s stock.

Quaker Houghton Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of Quaker Houghton stock opened at $160.11 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $141.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $135.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.78 billion, a PE ratio of -326.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.33. Quaker Houghton has a 52-week low of $95.91 and a 52-week high of $162.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a current ratio of 2.47.

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

Quaker Houghton Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be issued a $0.508 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -414.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KWR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Quaker Houghton from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $190.00 target price on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen raised Quaker Houghton from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Three research 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 an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $158.67.

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.