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Quaker Houghton (KWR) Stock Analysis

Recovery setup

SellVALUE-TRAP 1/5Moderate Confidence

Basic Materials · Specialty Chemicals

Earnings in 0 days (2026-04-30). Expect elevated volatility around the report — consider waiting for post-earnings price action before new entries.

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $135.56: Risk below floor (3.0 < 3.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.5/10. Specifically: High short interest: 16%; Elevated put/call ratio: 2.33; Below-average business quality.

Quaker Houghton is a global industrial process fluids company serving steel, aluminum, automotive, aerospace, and metalworking manufacturers across three segments: Americas, EMEA, and Asia/Pacific in 25+ countries. Revenue is generated through direct sales of specialty chemical... Read more

$135.56+9.7% A.UpsideScore 5.5/10#7 of 36 Specialty Chemicals
Stop $126.07Target $148.77(analyst − 13%)A.R:R 0.7:1
Analyst target$171.00+26.1%6 analysts
$148.77our TP
$135.56price
$171.00mean
$180

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $135.56: Risk below floor (3.0 < 3.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.5/10. Specifically: High short interest: 16%; Elevated put/call ratio: 2.33; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 63. Score 5.5/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 4/7 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, semi cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio and earnings proximity 0d<=7d. Suitability: aggressive.

Thesis

Rewards
No bull case signals
Risks
Risk below floor (3.0 < 3.0)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)
P/E (Fwd)14.4
Mkt Cap$2.3B
EV/EBITDA10.6
Profit Mgn-0.1%
ROE-0.2%
Rev Growth5.5%
Beta1.42
Dividend1.52%
Rating analysts9

Quality Signals

Piotroski F9/9

Options Flow

P/C2.33bearish
IV54%elevated

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • LOWCustomertop-5 customers11%
    10-K Item 1A: 'our top five largest customers (each composed of multiple subsidiaries or divisions with semi-autonomous purchasing authority) together accounted for approximately 11% of our consolidated net sales'

Material Events(8-K, last 90d)

  • 2026-03-12Item 5.02MEDIUM
    Jeffrey Fleck (SVP, Chief Global Operations Officer) departed effective March 9, 2026. Involuntary termination without cause; no disagreement cited. No successor named.
    SEC filing →

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

1 floor-breaker

Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static

Quality Rank
3.7
Growth Rank
5.0
Value Rank
6.3
GatesA.R:R 0.7 < 1.5@spotEARNINGS PROXIMITY 0d<=7dMomentum 4.5<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)Momentum 4.5>=4.5Insider activity: OKNo SEC red flagsSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARRecoverySuitability: Aggressive
RSI
63 · Neutral
20D MA 50D MA 200D MADEATH CROSSSupport $113.88Resistance $145.52

Price Targets

$126
$149
A.Upside+9.7%
A.R:R0.7:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Risk below floor (3.0 < 3.0)
! Reward/Risk 0.7:1 at current price — below 1.5:1 minimum
! EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:0d<=7d

Earnings

B
B
M
M
2/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-04-30 (0d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is KWR stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $135.56: Risk below floor (3.0 < 3.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.5/10. Specifically: High short interest: 16%; Elevated put/call ratio: 2.33; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 63. Prior stop was $126.07. Score 5.5/10, moderate confidence.

What is the KWR stock price target?

Take-profit target: $148.77 (+9.7% upside). Prior stop was $126.07. Stop-loss: $126.07.

What are the risks of investing in KWR?

Risk below floor (3.0 < 3.0).

Is KWR overvalued or undervalued?

Quaker Houghton trades at a P/E of N/A (forward 14.4). TrendMatrix value score: 7.8/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about KWR?

9 analysts cover KWR with a consensus score of 4.0/5. Average price target: $171.

What does Quaker Houghton do?Quaker Houghton is a global industrial process fluids company serving steel, aluminum, automotive, aerospace, and...

Quaker Houghton is a global industrial process fluids company serving steel, aluminum, automotive, aerospace, and metalworking manufacturers across three segments: Americas, EMEA, and Asia/Pacific in 25+ countries. Revenue is generated through direct sales of specialty chemical formulations and FluidCare chemical management services; non-US subsidiaries accounted for ~63-67% of net sales.

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