Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. Acquires Shares of 153,900 Quaker Houghton $KWR

Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 153,900 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,132,000. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. owned approximately 0.89% of Quaker Houghton as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KWR. William Blair Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Quaker Houghton during the 3rd quarter valued at $46,331,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Quaker Houghton by 1,897.7% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 321,637 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $42,376,000 after purchasing an additional 305,537 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Quaker Houghton by 79.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 661,888 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $87,204,000 after purchasing an additional 293,977 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Quaker Houghton during the 4th quarter worth about $17,982,000. Finally, Royce & Associates LP lifted its holdings in Quaker Houghton by 19.2% during 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 in the last quarter. 77.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Quaker Houghton Price Performance

Shares of KWR stock opened at $140.64 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 502.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.43. Quaker Houghton has a fifty-two week low of $108.49 and a fifty-two week high of $183.01. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $136.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $142.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.45.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.66 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $480.48 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $463.70 million. Quaker Houghton had a net margin of 0.22% and a return on equity of 9.03%. Quaker Houghton’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.58 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Quaker Houghton will post 7.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Quaker Houghton Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a $0.508 dividend. This represents a $2.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Quaker Houghton’s payout ratio is presently 725.00%.

Quaker Houghton declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, May 13th that permits the company to repurchase $250.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the specialty chemicals company to repurchase up to 10.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KWR has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen cut Quaker Houghton from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, April 12th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Quaker Houghton from $203.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research raised Quaker Houghton from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Quaker Houghton from $151.00 to $157.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Quaker Houghton from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $166.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Jeewat Bijlani sold 731 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.77, for a total value of $106,557.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,748 shares in the company, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Quaker Houghton Profile

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.