Quaker Chemical vs Sensient Technologies
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KIRA’s take AI analyst
I put Quaker Chemical and Sensient Technologies side by side, using each one’s latest annual report. Here is what stands out:
- Quaker Chemical is the larger business, with $1.9B of revenue in fiscal 2025 against $1.6B for Sensient Technologies.
- Sensient Technologies grew revenue faster (3.5%, against 2.7%).
- Sensient Technologies kept more of each dollar of sales as operating profit (12.9% operating margin, against 2.8%).
- Quaker Chemical turned more of its sales into free cash flow (4.3% FCF margin, against 2.4%).
- Sensient Technologies earned a higher return on the capital invested in it (8.9%, against 1.3%).
- Investors pay more for each dollar of Sensient Technologies’s earnings: a P/E of 35.8x against 27.6x for Quaker Chemical.
Who comes out ahead
Of the 11 measures where higher (or lower) is clearly better, how many each company leads.
Quaker Chemical
KWR
4/11
5-year growthGross marginFCF marginShare count change
Sensient Technologies
SXT
7/11
Revenue growthOperating marginNet marginReturn on capitalReturn on equityPiotroski F-scoreNet debt / EBITDA
Side by side
Best in the row
| Latest fiscal year | KWR FY25 | SXT FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| Market cap | $2.7B | $5.7B |
| Revenue | $1.9B | $1.6B |
| Free cash flow | $80.6M | $38.4M |
| Net income | −$2.5M | $135M |
| Growth | ||
| Revenue growth | 2.7% | 3.5% |
| 5-year growth | 5.9% | 3.9% |
| Share count change | −2.2% | 0.5% |
| Profitability | ||
| Gross margin | 36.0% | 33.5% |
| Operating margin | 2.8% | 12.9% |
| Net margin | −0.1% | 8.3% |
| FCF margin | 4.3% | 2.4% |
| Return on capital | 1.3% | 8.9% |
| Return on equity | −0.2% | 11.9% |
| Balance sheet | ||
| Net debt | $726M | $673M |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 6.1x | 2.5x |
| Dividends and buybacks | $75.9M | $69.6M |
| Valuation & quality | ||
| P/E | 27.6x | 35.8x |
| Piotroski F-score | 5 | 6 |
Ten years
Revenue
Operating margin
Free cash flow
Return on capital
Each company's latest fiscal year; fiscal years end in different months. The best value in each row is highlighted where higher (or lower) is clearly better. Not investment advice.