Updating your Income stocks: Quaker Chemical, McCormick & Co and 3M

Article Excerpt

QUAKER CHEMICAL CORP. $110 (www.quakerhoughton.com) remains a buy. The company makes specialty chemicals and lubricants for industrial uses. Quaker recently acquired two firms that make surface treatment chemicals for manufacturers: Japan’s Dipsol Chemicals Co., Ltd., purchased for $187.0 million, and U.K.-based Natech Ltd., for $6.5 million. While using acquisitions to expand adds risk, the company has a strong history of successfully absorbing new operations.  Quaker Chemical is a buy. MCCORMICK & CO. INC. $71 (www.mccormick.com) is still a hold. The maker of spices, seasonings and flavours is working with restaurants and food makers to re-formulate its products as the U.S. government bans certain food dyes. These dyes are only a small number of the company’s products, so the cost of this change will probably be low. However, planned price hikes to offset tariffs could hurt sales as the company faces strong competition from cheaper store-brands. Moreover, the stock trades at a somewhat high 23.3 times the $3.05 a share that McCormick will probably earn in the fiscal year…