Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Raised to "Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Quaker Houghton to “Buy” from “Hold.” The stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from analysts, with an average price target of $174.67.
• Quarterly results exceeded expectations: earnings per share came in at $2.19 versus the $1.66 consensus, while revenue rose 10.2% year over year to $532.55 million.
• Shareholder returns received a boost through a newly authorized $250 million share-repurchase program, allowing the company to buy back up to 10.1% of outstanding shares.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Truist Financial initiated coverage on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research note on Monday, June 8th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $172.00 target price on the stock. Seaport Research Partners upgraded shares of Quaker Houghton from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $175.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Quaker Houghton from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $177.00 price objective on shares of Quaker Houghton in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Quaker Houghton from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Quaker Houghton currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $174.67.

Quaker Houghton Trading Up 3.3%

Shares of Quaker Houghton stock opened at $160.00 on Friday. Quaker Houghton has a 1 year low of $111.42 and a 1 year high of $183.01. The firm has a market cap of $2.78 billion, a PE ratio of 28.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $149.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $145.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 2.45 and a quick ratio of 1.72.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.53. 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 quarterly revenue was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.71 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Quaker Houghton will post 7.16 EPS for the current year.

Quaker Houghton declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, May 13th that allows the company to repurchase $250.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty chemicals company to purchase up to 10.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Quaker Houghton

In other Quaker Houghton news, EVP Jeewat Bijlani sold 731 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.77, for a total transaction of $106,557.87. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,748 shares of the company's stock, valued at $983,655.96. The trade was a 9.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Quaker Houghton

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Quaker Houghton by 79.9% in 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 period. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. bought a new position in Quaker Houghton during the 4th quarter worth approximately $21,132,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Quaker Houghton during the 4th quarter worth approximately $17,982,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Quaker Houghton by 1,569.5% in the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 139,290 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $19,126,000 after purchasing an additional 130,947 shares during the period. Finally, Royce & Associates LP increased its stake in Quaker Houghton by 19.2% in the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 755,740 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $103,771,000 after purchasing an additional 121,854 shares during the period. 77.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Quaker Houghton News

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.

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.

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