WCM Investment Management LLC Sells 44,621 Shares of Quaker Houghton $KWR

WCM Investment Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) by 36.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 78,526 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 44,621 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC owned 0.45% of Quaker Houghton worth $9,775,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of KWR. Keybank National Association OH boosted its stake in Quaker Houghton by 3.5% in the first quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 2,084 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,226 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $580,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Quaker Houghton by 7.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $140,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 7,782 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,067,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its stake in shares of Quaker Houghton by 7.1% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $204,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. 77.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Quaker Houghton Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE KWR opened at $148.11 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $147.42 and its 200-day moving average is $145.16. The stock has a market cap of $2.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 529.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.40. Quaker Houghton has a twelve month low of $111.42 and a twelve month high of $183.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.66 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $480.48 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $463.70 million. Quaker Houghton had a net margin of 0.22% and a return on equity of 9.03%. Quaker Houghton’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.58 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Quaker Houghton will post 7.16 EPS for the current year.

Quaker Houghton declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Wednesday, May 13th that authorizes the company to repurchase $250.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty chemicals company to buy up to 10.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Quaker Houghton Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Quaker Houghton

In other news, EVP Jeewat Bijlani sold 731 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was 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. This trade represents a 9.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on KWR shares. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Quaker Houghton from $203.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $177.00 price objective on shares of Quaker Houghton in a report on Friday. Seaport Research Partners raised Quaker Houghton from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $175.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Wall Street Zen cut Quaker Houghton from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, April 12th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded 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 given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.67.

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.