Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday morning.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on KWR. Seaport Research Partners upgraded shares of Quaker Houghton from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $175.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Quaker Houghton from $203.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $177.00 price objective on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Weiss Ratings raised Quaker Houghton from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Truist Financial started coverage on Quaker Houghton in a research report on Monday, June 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $172.00 target price on the stock. Four 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.67.

Quaker Houghton Stock Up 3.3%

Quaker Houghton stock opened at $160.00 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.52, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.40. Quaker Houghton has a 52-week low of $111.42 and a 52-week high of $183.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.45. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $149.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $145.73.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.53. Quaker Houghton had a net margin of 4.94% and a return on equity of 9.56%. The company had revenue of $532.55 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $504.63 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.71 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Quaker Houghton will post 7.16 EPS for the current year.

Quaker Houghton Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Investors of record on Friday, October 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a boost from Quaker Houghton’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 16th. Quaker Houghton’s payout ratio is currently 725.00%.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Quaker Houghton news, EVP Jeewat Bijlani sold 731 shares of Quaker Houghton stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.77, for a total value of $106,557.87. Following the completion of the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Quaker Houghton

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Quaker Houghton by 79.9% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 661,888 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $87,204,000 after buying an additional 293,977 shares during the last quarter. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Quaker Houghton in the fourth quarter valued at $21,132,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Quaker Houghton during the fourth quarter valued at about $17,982,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Quaker Houghton by 1,569.5% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 139,290 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $19,126,000 after buying an additional 130,947 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royce & Associates LP increased its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 19.2% during the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 755,740 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $103,771,000 after acquiring an additional 121,854 shares in the last quarter. 77.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Quaker Houghton News Roundup

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.

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.