Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Shares Down 4.1% Following Analyst Downgrade

Shares of Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) dropped 4.1% on Monday after Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on the stock from $203.00 to $175.00. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a buy rating on the stock. Quaker Houghton traded as low as $114.45 and last traded at $115.5930. Approximately 28,710 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 160,009 shares. The stock had previously closed at $120.57.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on KWR. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price 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. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Quaker Houghton from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $179.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quaker Houghton

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KWR. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Quaker Houghton in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Quaker Houghton in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. 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 purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Quaker Houghton by 87.1% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 348 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $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 Stock Down 4.1%

The company has a 50-day moving average of $145.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $140.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.72. The company has a market capitalization of $2.00 billion, a PE ratio of -966.71, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.43.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $468.48 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $465.17 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.33 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Quaker Houghton will post 7.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quaker Houghton Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.508 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 16th. This represents a $2.03 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Quaker Houghton’s payout ratio is currently -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.