Quaker Chemical Q1 earnings rise by 44%

30 Apr '08

4 min read

Quaker Chemical Corporation announced sales for the first quarter 2008 of $147.7 million, a quarterly record, and net income of $5.1 million, increases of 18.3% and 44.0%, respectively, compared to the first quarter of 2007. Earnings per share increased to $0.50 per diluted share from $0.35 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2007.

"We're very pleased with our start in 2008, particularly given today's world," commented Ronald J. Naples, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We achieved improvement in operating income as a percentage of sales to over 6%, despite the headwinds of rapidly escalating raw material costs.

We did see a decrease in our sequential gross margin percentage from the fourth quarter of 2007, but were able to maintain our margins in dollar terms, and continue to work with our customers to recognize the value we deliver and our cost realities.

With our future in mind, we remain committed to invest in key growth initiatives, while at the same time being mindful of today's challenges and limited visibility of the current economic environment and commodity price trends. As suggested by our recent dividend increase, we have confidence about our long-term future and the prospects of earnings improvement for 2008."

First Quarter 2008 Summary:
Net sales for the first quarter were $147.7 million, up 18.3% from $124.9 million for the first quarter 2007. The increase in net sales was attributable to volume growth, higher sales prices and foreign exchange rate translation. Volume growth was realized in virtually all the Company's regions, including higher revenue related to the Company's Chemical Management Services (CMS) channel.

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