Key Highlights

  • The company declared a $0.53 quarterly dividend, payable October 30, 2026, to holders of record October 16.
  • The dividend is 4.3% higher, marking the 17th consecutive year of increases and the 50th increase since going public in 1972.
  • Second-quarter net sales were $532.6 million, up 10%, with volumes up 7% on new business wins across all segments.
  • Non-GAAP earnings per share rose 28% to $2.19, while GAAP diluted earnings were $1.55 per share.

Quaker Houghton (NYSE:KWR) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, payable on October 30, 2026, to holders of record on October 16. The dividend is 4.3% above the prior payout and the 50th increase since the industrial process fluids company went public in 1972. Second-quarter 2026 net sales were $532.6 million, up 10% from a year earlier.

Dividend Program and Shareholder Returns

Quaker Houghton announced the $0.53 quarterly dividend on July 29, 2026. It is payable on October 30, 2026, to holders of record on October 16, 2026, which is also the ex-dividend date. The company said the amount is 4.3% above the prior dividend.

Chief Executive Officer Joseph A. Berquist said: “This dividend increase marks our 17th consecutive year and 50th increase since going public in 1972.”

The company also returns cash through repurchases. In the second quarter it bought back 170,568 shares for about $24.2 million, and it has a new repurchase authorization of up to an aggregate of $250 million of Quaker Chemical Corporation common stock.

About the Company

Quaker Houghton describes itself as “the global leader in industrial process fluids.” Its legal name is Quaker Chemical Corporation, doing business as Quaker Houghton, and its common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange. The company is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, with operations in over 25 countries and about 4,700 employees.

Financial Performance Behind the Payout

Second-quarter net sales were $532.6 million, up 10% from a year earlier. Volumes rose 7%, which the company said was “primarily driven by new business wins across all segments.”

GAAP net income was $26.8 million, or $1.55 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $66.6 million, or a loss of $3.78 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2025. Non-GAAP net income was $37.9 million, and non-GAAP earnings per share were $2.19, up 28%. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, was $85.2 million, up 13%.

By segment, Americas net sales were $236.5 million versus $221.1 million a year earlier, EMEA net sales were $158.4 million versus $139.9 million, and Asia/Pacific net sales were $137.6 million versus $122.4 million.

For the first half, net sales were $1,013.0 million, GAAP net income attributable to the company was $46.5 million and non-GAAP earnings per share were $3.82. Net cash from operating activities was $33.2 million for the six months.

At June 30, 2026, cash was $155.1 million and gross debt was $876.1 million. The company put net debt at about $721.0 million, or approximately 2.3x trailing-twelve-month adjusted EBITDA.

Asia Pacific Growth and the Zhangjiagang Plant

Asia/Pacific net sales rose 12% to $137.6 million in the second quarter, from $122.4 million a year earlier.

On June 25, 2026, Quaker Houghton announced a new manufacturing facility in Zhangjiagang, China, and an expanded laboratory in Shanghai, which opened earlier in June. The company said the facility is “expanding local production capabilities to support growing customer demand across the Asia-Pacific region” and adds production for die casting and grease product lines.

Outlook

In its second-quarter release, Quaker Houghton said: “We anticipate meaningful revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth in 2026 supported by continued share gains.” It also said “we expect stable demand trends entering the third quarter” and “We anticipate gross margin percentage to stabilize in the third quarter in the range of second quarter gross margins.”

Berquist said: “We achieved our fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year profitability growth in Q2 2026.”

The company has declared a dividend of $0.53 per share payable on October 30, 2026. Net sales, adjusted EBITDA, gross margins, leverage and repurchase activity are the relevant factors for the dividend.