Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Hits New 12-Month High – Here’s Why

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $176.44 and last traded at $175.6650, with a volume of 33361 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $170.97.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KWR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research upgraded Quaker Houghton from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Quaker Houghton from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $158.67.

Quaker Houghton Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $3.06 billion, a PE ratio of -359.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a current ratio of 2.47. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $148.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $138.96.

Quaker Houghton Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th were given a $0.508 dividend. This represents a $2.03 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 16th. Quaker Houghton’s payout ratio is currently -414.29%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quaker Houghton

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KWR. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Quaker Houghton in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Quaker Houghton in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. bought a new position in shares of Quaker Houghton in the second quarter worth about $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 284.8% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Quaker Houghton by 165.0% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 273 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.46% of the company’s stock.

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.