Citigroup Inc. Lowers Stock Position in Quaker Chemical Co. (NYSE:KWR)

Citigroup Inc. cut its position in shares of Quaker Chemical Co. (NYSE:KWR) by 9.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,003 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 1,147 shares during the quarter. Citigroup Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Quaker Chemical worth $2,178,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strs Ohio bought a new position in shares of Quaker Chemical in the first quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Quaker Chemical in the 1st quarter valued at $59,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in shares of Quaker Chemical by 17.6% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 327 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Quaker Chemical by 30.2% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 754 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $131,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Quaker Chemical in the 1st quarter worth about $151,000. 77.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Quaker Chemical Price Performance

KWR opened at $171.11 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $184.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $190.65. Quaker Chemical Co. has a twelve month low of $129.06 and a twelve month high of $216.45. The company has a quick ratio of 2.05, a current ratio of 2.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a market capitalization of $3.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 364.05, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.41.

Quaker Chemical (NYSE:KWR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 1st. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.08. Quaker Chemical had a net margin of 0.45% and a return on equity of 9.59%. The business had revenue of $495.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $507.00 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.32 EPS. Quaker Chemical’s revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Quaker Chemical Co. will post 7.46 EPS for the current year.

Quaker Chemical Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 17th will be paid a $0.455 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 16th. This represents a $1.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. This is an increase from Quaker Chemical’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Quaker Chemical’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 370.21%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Quaker Chemical in a research report on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Quaker Chemical in a report on Thursday, June 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Quaker Chemical from $227.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 3rd.

Insider Buying and Selling at Quaker Chemical

In other news, EVP Melissa Leneis sold 4,445 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.61, for a total value of $869,486.45. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 3,178 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $621,648.58. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Quaker Chemical Company Profile

Quaker Chemical Corporation develops, produces, and markets various formulated chemical specialty products for a range of heavy industrial and manufacturing applications. The company operates through four segments: Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Asia/Pacific; and Global Specialty Businesses.