Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) Hits New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $162.42 and last traded at $162.04, with a volume of 44156 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $157.21.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on KWR. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Quaker Houghton in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. 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 restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $190.00 target price on shares of Quaker Houghton in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Quaker Houghton from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $158.67.

Quaker Houghton Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.95 billion, a PE ratio of -347.10, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 2.47 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $146.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $137.81.

Quaker Houghton Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th were issued a $0.508 dividend. This represents a $2.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 16th. Quaker Houghton’s payout ratio is presently -414.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in Quaker Houghton by 176.2% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 54,443 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $6,094,000 after acquiring an additional 34,731 shares during the period. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP lifted its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 21.3% in the 2nd quarter. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP now owns 46,853 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $5,245,000 after purchasing an additional 8,215 shares during the period. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 10.7% in the 2nd quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC now owns 113,200 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $12,672,000 after purchasing an additional 10,950 shares during the period. QSV Equity Investors LLC bought a new stake in Quaker Houghton during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,191,000. Finally, Nordwand Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Quaker Houghton during the second quarter valued at approximately $280,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.46% of the company’s stock.

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.