Shutdown delays merger deal

Article Excerpt

QUAKER CHEMICAL CORP. $201 (New York symbol KWR; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares o/s: 13.3 million; Market cap: $2.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.1; Dividend yield: 0.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.quakerchem.com) agreed to acquire rival Houghton International Inc. in 2017. Based in Philadelphia, the privately owned firm makes specialty chemicals, oils, and lubricants for customers in the automotive, aerospace, mining, and beverage industries. Under the terms of the takeover, Houghton’s owners will receive $172.5 million in cash and a 24.5% stake in the combined company. The recent shutdown of the U.S. government delayed regulatory approval of the merger. As a result, Quaker now expects to complete the takeover in mid-2019. It’s likely that regulators will force the company to sell some product lines before approving the deal. In all, they represent just 3% of the combined company’s annual sales of roughly $1.5 billion. Quaker Chemical is a buy. buy. …