Overseas focus lifts Quaker’s outlook

Article Excerpt

QUAKER CHEMICAL CORP. $47 (New York symbol KWR; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 13.0 million; Market cap: $611.0 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.quakerchem.com) makes lubricants and chemicals that keep mechanical parts from rusting. The company continues to buy smaller firms that add to its expertise and expand its foreign operations, which now provide about 60% of its revenue. Its latest purchase was Italy-based NP Coil Dexter Industries, which makes chemicals that carmakers and other industrial clients use to prepare metal surfaces before applying paint or other coatings. This prevents corrosion and helps paint form a stronger bond. Quaker did not say how much it paid, but NP Coil Dexter will add $11 million to its annual revenue. Meanwhile, Quaker’s revenue rose 5.4% in the three months ended June 30, 2012, to $176.8 million from $167.8 million a year earlier. Acquisitions pushed up revenue by 6%, and price increases added a further gain of 5%…