Quaker sees higher cost savings

Article Excerpt

QUAKER CHEMICAL CORP. $199 is still a buy. The company (New York symbol KWR; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 17.8 million; Market cap: $3.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.7; Dividend yield: 0.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.quakerchem.com) completed its acquisition of rival specialty chemicals maker Houghton International in August 2019. It paid Houghton’s owners $170.8 million in cash and a 24.5% stake in the combined company. The company now expects the merger will let it cut $53 million from its annual costs by the end of 2020. That’s up from its earlier forecast of $35 million. By the end of 2022, those annual savings should rise to $75 million, which is 25% better than its $60 million forecast. Those savings will help offset lower demand for its products from manufacturing customers. That demand will likely remain weak until economy improves. Quaker Chemical is a buy. buy…