Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.53 EPS

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.53, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $532.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $504.63 million. Quaker Houghton had a net margin of 4.94% and a return on equity of 9.56%. The firm’s revenue was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.71 earnings per share.

Quaker Houghton Stock Performance

NYSE:KWR traded up $5.08 on Friday, hitting $160.00. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 279,238 shares, compared to its average volume of 132,470. Quaker Houghton has a one year low of $111.42 and a one year high of $183.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $149.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $145.73. The company has a current ratio of 2.45, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Quaker Houghton Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 16th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from Quaker Houghton’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 16th. Quaker Houghton’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 725.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KWR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners raised shares of Quaker Houghton from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $175.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Quaker Houghton from $203.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research upgraded Quaker Houghton from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $177.00 target price on shares of Quaker Houghton in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Quaker Houghton from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $174.67.

Quaker Houghton declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, May 13th that allows the company to buyback $250.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the specialty chemicals company to reacquire up to 10.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Key Stories Impacting Quaker Houghton

Here are the key news stories impacting Quaker Houghton this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings and revenue exceeded expectations. Non-GAAP EPS was $2.19, versus the $1.66–$1.68 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $532.6 million, up 10% year over year and above the roughly $505 million estimate. Quaker Chemical Q2 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Operating momentum improved. Sales volumes rose 7%, driven primarily by new business wins across all segments. Adjusted EBITDA increased 13% to $85.2 million, and management expects mid- to high-single-digit adjusted EBITDA growth in 2026 while targeting EBITDA margins above 18%. Quaker Houghton Anticipates EBITDA Growth in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns were strengthened. Quaker Houghton raised its quarterly dividend 4.3% to $0.53 per share, repurchased $24.2 million of stock during the quarter and authorized a new $250 million repurchase program. Quaker Houghton Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management described demand entering the third quarter as stable and expects end markets to be flat to slightly positive for the rest of 2026. Regional sales rose across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific, but the company carried $876.1 million of gross debt against $155.1 million of cash.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a potential risk after the rally, while reported net income was only $26.8 million and a company executive recently sold 731 shares. These factors could limit further upside if growth or margins disappoint.

Insider Activity at Quaker Houghton

In related news, EVP Jeewat Bijlani sold 731 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.77, for a total transaction of $106,557.87. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $983,655.96. The trade was a 9.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quaker Houghton

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 14.4% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 756,988 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $103,942,000 after purchasing an additional 95,100 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Quaker Houghton by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 712,528 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $97,839,000 after buying an additional 36,790 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Quaker Houghton by 9.2% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 596,618 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $66,785,000 after buying an additional 50,264 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Quaker Houghton by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 325,278 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $44,664,000 after acquiring an additional 3,641 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Quaker Houghton by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 206,223 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $28,316,000 after acquiring an additional 4,528 shares during the period. 77.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.