Quaker Houghton Common Stock (KWR)

FairStock Score: 57/100 — STEADY

Key Financials

Strengths

• Generates $123 million in annual free cash flow (5.2% yield on market cap)

Concerns

• Trades significantly above Graham Number ($22) with negative 534% margin of safety—limited downside protection
• Altman Z-Score of 1.7 places it in the financial distress zone—elevated bankruptcy risk

AI Analysis

Quaker Houghton Common Stock is a small-cap basic materials company valued at $2.4 billion. The business generates $1.9 billion in annual revenue with a 1.1% net margin and $123 million in free cash flow. From a quality standpoint, Quaker shows distressed Altman Z-Score of 1.7 warrants caution and modest 0% ROE. On valuation, the stock is commanding a steep 528.5x multiple, with trades far above its Graham Number ($22) with no margin of safety. Growth dynamics show revenue growing at 5.5% and profit growth of 45.9%. The 1.4% dividend yield adds an income component for patient holders. Our composite FairStock Score of 57/100 reflects mixed fundamentals overall. Investors should weigh the business quality against the current price and their own margin of safety requirements.

Bull Case

Improving fundamentals and sector tailwinds could drive meaningful earnings growth, compressing the effective multiple for patient investors. With $123 million in annual free cash flow (5.2% yield), management has ample capital for buybacks, dividends, or accretive acquisitions.

Bear Case

At 529x earnings, any growth disappointment triggers rapid multiple compression—a 20% earnings miss plus multiple contraction to 20x implies 40%+ downside. Regulatory changes, input cost inflation, or demand normalization represent underappreciated risks that could materially impact forward estimates.

Data from SEC filings. AI analysis is for educational purposes only — not investment advice. Scoring methodology · Disclaimer