Quaker Houghton Q1 Revenue $480.48M Beats Expectations
Reports Q1 revenue $480.48M, consensus $463.36M. Joe Berquist, Chief Executive Officer and President, commented, "We achieved 3% year-over-year organic volume growth despite challenging markets, resulting in our third consecutive quarter of profitability improvement compared to prior year. The volume growth was driven by new business wins in all regions, led again by the Asia/Pacific region. Our disciplined approach to sales execution and serving the customer is enabling us to outperform soft end markets, which we estimate were down a low-single-digit percentage in the quarter. Gross margins improved as expected in the first quarter, driving higher earnings, with adjusted EBITDA up 5% compared to prior year. Looking ahead we expect demand to improve incrementally with normal seasonality, even with volatility and current uncertainty in the market. We expect to incur raw material inflation beginning in the second quarter and have implemented price recovery and cost actions to mitigate the impact; however, some lag will temporarily impact gross margins in the second quarter. We expect to fully recover margins to reach our target range as we exit the year. While recent geopolitical events have created additional near-term uncertainty, we expect to achieve year-over-year revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth in 2026 assuming no significant deterioration in our end markets as a result of the Middle East conflict. I am proud of the resilience and unwavering commitment to our customers demonstrated by the entire Quaker Houghton team in an exceptionally volatile environment."
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- Significant Profit Growth: Quaker Chemical reported a net profit of $19.66 million for Q1, translating to earnings per share of $1.13, which marks a substantial increase from last year's $12.92 million and $0.73 per share, indicating a strong improvement in profitability.
- Strong Adjusted Earnings: Excluding special items, the company reported adjusted earnings of $28.37 million, or $1.63 per share, demonstrating that its core business performance exceeded market expectations.
- Revenue Continues to Rise: The company's revenue for the first quarter increased by 8.5% to $480.47 million, up from $442.91 million last year, reflecting robust market demand recovery.
- Optimistic Market Outlook: With both revenue and profit growth, Quaker Chemical's competitive position in the industry strengthens, suggesting further opportunities for market expansion and investment in the future.
- Significant Sales Growth: In Q1 2026, Quaker Houghton reported net sales of $480.5 million, an 8% increase year-over-year, primarily driven by a 3% rise in organic sales volumes and a 4% contribution from acquisitions, demonstrating the company's robust growth in a competitive market.
- Net Income Surge: The company achieved a net income of $19.7 million in Q1 2026, a 52% increase from $12.9 million in the same period of 2025, with diluted earnings per share rising from $0.73 to $1.13, reflecting a significant improvement in profitability.
- Adjusted EBITDA Growth: Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 2026 reached $72.5 million, up approximately 5% year-over-year, indicating effective cost control despite a decline in operating margins, showcasing the company's ability to enhance overall profitability through sales growth.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Despite challenges from rising raw material costs, Quaker Houghton anticipates year-over-year revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth in 2026, indicating resilience and potential for growth in an uncertain market environment.
- Sales Performance Boost: In Q1 2026, Quaker Houghton reported net sales of $480.5 million, an 8% year-over-year increase, primarily driven by a 3% rise in organic sales volumes and approximately 4% contribution from new business wins, indicating strong growth momentum in a competitive market.
- Profitability Improvement: The company achieved a net income of $19.7 million and earnings per diluted share of $1.13 in Q1 2026, significantly up from $12.9 million and $0.73 in the same period of 2025, reflecting effective strategies in cost control and sales execution.
- Adjusted EBITDA Growth: The adjusted EBITDA for Q1 2026 reached $72.5 million, a 5% increase year-over-year, demonstrating the company's ability to enhance profitability despite challenges in operating margins driven by increased sales.
- Global Transformation Initiative: Quaker Houghton initiated a global business transformation and cost savings program expected to generate annual savings of $20 to $30 million by 2028, highlighting the company's strategic focus on sustainable growth for the future.
- Earnings Release Schedule: Quaker Houghton is set to release its Q1 2026 earnings on April 30, 2026, after market close, reflecting the company's ongoing performance in the global industrial process fluids sector.
- Investor Conference Call: The company will host a conference call on May 1, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (ET), allowing investors to participate via phone or live audio webcast to gain insights into financial status and future outlook.
- Replay Options: For those unable to attend live, a digital replay will be available until May 15, 2026, by calling +1-877-660-6853 or +1-201-612-7415, ensuring accessibility to important information.
- Company Background: Quaker Houghton is the global leader in industrial process fluids, operating in over 25 countries with approximately 4,700 employees, dedicated to providing efficient, innovative, and sustainable solutions to strengthen its market position.
- Credit Agreement Amendment: Quaker Houghton has entered into an amended credit agreement with existing and new lenders, extending debt maturities to 2031, significantly improving overall credit terms and enhancing liquidity.
- Increased Financing Capacity: The new agreement includes a $550 million senior secured U.S. dollar-denominated term loan, a €250 million senior secured euro-denominated term loan, and an $800 million senior secured revolving credit facility, with an additional $331 million available for liquidity.
- Clear Use of Proceeds: The new financing will be used to fully repay all outstanding loans under the existing credit agreement, terminate revolving credit commitments, and fund strategic growth and future capital allocation priorities.
- Enhanced Strategic Flexibility: CEO Joseph Berquist noted that this amendment further strengthens the company's financial flexibility, positioning it to better execute its strategy, achieve capital allocation priorities, and continue investing in organic growth and strategic M&A.
- Quarterly Dividend Announcement: Quaker Houghton declares a quarterly dividend of $0.508 per share, consistent with previous distributions, indicating stable cash flow and shareholder return strategy, which is likely to bolster investor confidence.
- Dividend Yield: The forward yield of 1.38% reflects the company's attractiveness in the current market environment, potentially drawing in more investors seeking stable income.
- Financial Performance: In the latest earnings report, Quaker Houghton reported a non-GAAP EPS of $1.65, missing expectations by $0.10, while revenue of $468.5M exceeded forecasts by $3.33M, demonstrating resilience in revenue growth.
- Future Outlook: The company has set a target for a 2-4% net market share gain by 2026 and expects gross margins to be between 36-37%, indicating that its growth momentum in the Asia-Pacific region is accelerating, which may lay the groundwork for future profitability.








