Quantbot Technologies LP Decreases Stock Holdings in Quaker Houghton $KWR

Quantbot Technologies LP lowered its stake in Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) by 69.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,831 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 6,293 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings in Quaker Houghton were worth $373,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KWR. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Quaker Houghton in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 33.5% during the third quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 4,779 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $630,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares in the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Quaker Houghton during the 3rd quarter worth about $206,000. Heartland Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Quaker Houghton by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. now owns 90,383 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $11,908,000 after buying an additional 7,774 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in Quaker Houghton by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,529 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.46% of the company’s stock.

Quaker Houghton Price Performance

Quaker Houghton stock opened at $129.75 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $156.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.47. Quaker Houghton has a 12-month low of $95.91 and a 12-month high of $183.01. The stock has a market cap of $2.25 billion, a P/E ratio of -1,081.19, a PEG ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.34.

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

Quaker Houghton Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 16th will be issued a $0.508 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 16th. This represents a $2.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Quaker Houghton’s dividend payout ratio is currently -1,691.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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