Public Sector Pension Investment Board Increases Position in Quaker Houghton $KWR

Key Points

• The Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its stake in Quaker Houghton by 27.2%, owning 43,390 shares worth approximately $5.36 million as of the latest reporting period.
• Quaker Houghton reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.71 for the most recent quarter, missing estimates by $0.11, despite a 4.3% year-over-year revenue increase to $483.40 million.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.508 per share, representing a boost from its previous dividend, with a yield of 1.5%.

Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its position in shares of Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR - Free Report) by 27.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 43,390 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,286 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board owned 0.25% of Quaker Houghton worth $5,363,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KWR. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. acquired a new stake in Quaker Houghton during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 400.0% during the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 230 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 390.5% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 363 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 289 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 119.7% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 391 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 200.0% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,053 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $130,000 after acquiring an additional 702 shares during the last quarter. 77.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Quaker Houghton Stock Up 5.3%

Shares of NYSE KWR traded up $7.23 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $144.14. The company's stock had a trading volume of 47,698 shares, compared to its average volume of 169,960. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $122.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $120.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 1.87. Quaker Houghton has a 1 year low of $95.91 and a 1 year high of $180.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -333.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.38.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.82 by ($0.11). Quaker Houghton had a negative net margin of 0.39% and a positive return on equity of 8.35%. The business had revenue of $483.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $463.57 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.13 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Quaker Houghton will post 7.75 EPS for the current year.

Quaker Houghton Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 17th will be given a $0.508 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 17th. This represents a $2.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is a boost from Quaker Houghton's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Quaker Houghton's payout ratio is currently -451.16%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KWR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Quaker Houghton from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $146.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $135.00 price target on shares of Quaker Houghton and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Quaker Houghton presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $150.75.

Quaker Houghton Company Profile

Quaker Chemical Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets various formulated specialty chemical products for a range of heavy industrial and manufacturing applications in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It offers metal removal fluids, cleaning fluids, corrosion inhibitors, metal drawing and forming fluids, die-cast mold releases, heat treatment and quenchants, metal forging fluids, hydraulic fluids, specialty greases, offshore sub-sea energy control fluids, rolling lubricants, rod and wire drawing fluids, and surface treatment chemicals.