Quaker Chemical

KWR · NYSE

$157.97+$1.49 (+0.95%)TodayMarket closed · Oct 20, 7:30 PM ET

Prev close $156.48

KWR analyst rating

BuyConsensus of 6 analysts over the last 12 months. 100% rate it a buy.

Strong buy0
Buy6
Hold0
Underperform0
Sell0

12-month price target · 8 analysts

Average $196.42 (+24.3% upside)

Low: $181.80
Now: $157.97
High: $210.00

Upgrades and downgrades

The latest rating actions, newest first

KWR analyst upgrades, downgrades and rating actions
Firm	Date	Action	Rating	Price target	Hit rate
RBC Capital	Oct 15, 2026	Maintains	Outperform	$198.00 → $202.00	46%
Freedom Capital Markets	Sep 30, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$195.00	65%
Deutsche Bank	Aug 25, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$165.00 → $185.00	64%
RBC Capital	Aug 3, 2026	Maintains	Outperform	$177.00 → $198.00	46%
Truist Securities	Aug 3, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$172.00 → $190.00	43%
Truist Securities	Jun 8, 2026	Initiates	Buy	$172.00	43%
RBC Capital	May 4, 2026	Maintains	Outperform	$151.00 → $157.00	46%
RBC Capital	Apr 24, 2026	Maintains	Outperform	$184.00 → $151.00	46%
Seaport Global	Apr 17, 2026	Upgrade	Neutral → Buy	$175.00	83%
Jefferies	Apr 6, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$203.00 → $175.00	57%

The case for and against

Updated Oct 16, 2026

Bull case

Quaker Houghton is attractive because it combines a leading pure-play position in a fragmented roughly $13B industrial process fluids market with about 13% share, strong customer retention, and a service-heavy model that supports pricing power. Its latest results showed record quarterly adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS in 2Q26, while management still expects “meaningful” year-over-year revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth in 2026, helped by new business wins, volume strength in the Americas and Asia/Pacific, and a $20 million to $30 million transformation program with a $10 million run-rate target by end of 2026. Even with mixed demand and raw material pressure, the ability to offset costs through delayed price increases, plus scope for tuck-in acquisitions and margin expansion into 2026-2027, supports a favorable fundamental outlook.

Bear case

Quaker Houghton is facing a weak fundamental setup because its results remain tied to highly cyclical steel, automobile, aerospace, and industrial end markets that could deteriorate in a slowdown, while volatile energy and crude-linked base oil costs threaten margins and limit upside. The 3Q adjusted EPS forecast of $2.10 is only marginally above the $2.09 consensus and the $2.08 reported in the year-ago quarter, but management still sees no sequential improvement from 2Q’s record level due to customer prebuying and fading currency tailwinds. With heavy exposure to non-U.S. operations, especially EMEA and China, the company also faces elevated geopolitical, logistics, and supply-chain risks, alongside downside assumptions that include a 2025 EBITDA estimate of $290M and depressed end-market growth.

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