GW&K Investment Management LLC Reduces Stake in Quaker Houghton $KWR

GW&K Investment Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) by 10.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 285,557 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 32,261 shares during the quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Quaker Houghton were worth $37,623,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KWR. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Quaker Houghton during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Quaker Houghton in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position 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 valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Quaker Houghton by 87.1% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 348 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in Quaker Houghton by 54.4% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 673 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. 77.46% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Quaker Houghton Stock Performance

Shares of KWR stock opened at $135.95 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $156.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $143.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.36 billion, a PE ratio of -1,132.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.34. Quaker Houghton has a 52-week low of $95.91 and a 52-week high of $183.01.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 23rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.65 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $468.48 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $465.17 million. Quaker Houghton had a positive return on equity of 8.99% and a negative net margin of 0.13%.The firm’s revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.33 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Quaker Houghton will post 7.75 EPS for the current year.

Quaker Houghton Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 16th will be given a $0.508 dividend. This represents a $2.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 16th. Quaker Houghton’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1,691.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Zacks Research raised Quaker Houghton from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $203.00 price target on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen lowered Quaker Houghton from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, March 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Quaker Houghton from $190.00 to $184.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Quaker Houghton currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $175.67.

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.