UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

                                                              FORM 10-Q               

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2015

OR

For the transition period from              to             

Commission file number 001-12019

QUAKER CHEMICAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 610-832-4000

Not Applicable

Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report.

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes     [X]      No   [  ]     

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).            Yes    [X]     No  [  ]     

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  [  ]    No  [X] 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

QUAKER CHEMICAL CORPORATION AND CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES

PART I

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.                        Financial Statements (Unaudited).

Quaker Chemical Corporation

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

Quaker Chemical Corporation

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(Dollars in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

Quaker Chemical Corporation

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands, except par value and share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

Quaker Chemical Corporation

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Dollars in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

Quaker Chemical Corporation

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

Note 1 – Condensed Financial Information

The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission regulations.  Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations.  In the opinion of management, the financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, except as discussed below) which are necessary for a fair statement of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods.  The results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.  These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report filed on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

In 2003, the Venezuelan government suspended the free exchange of Bolivar Fuerte (“BsF”) for foreign currency and implemented certain foreign exchange controls that served to centralize the purchase and sale of foreign currency within the country.  As of December 31, 2014, there were three legally available exchange rates in Venezuela, the CADIVI (or the official rate, 6.3 BsF per U.S. Dollar), the SICAD I (approximately 12 BsF per U.S. Dollar) and the SICAD II (approximately 52 BsF per U.S. Dollar).  In the first quarter of 2015, the Company understands that the Venezuelan government announced changes to its exchange controls.  The Company understands that there continues to be three exchange mechanisms in Venezuela; however, they now consist of the CADIVI, a combined SICAD I and SICAD II auction mechanism (the “SICAD”) and a newly created, marginal currency system (the “SIMADI”).  The CADIVI exchange largely remains the same, except that the government further restricted what products qualify and can, therefore, legally be imported or traded under this exchange.  The government has yet to disclose who can access or trade on the newly formed combined SICAD market and no auctions have occurred since late 2014.  Finally, the newly created SIMADI is legally available to all parties, however, at significantly higher exchange rates than the CADIVI or SICAD.  As of March 31, 2015, the published rate for the SIMADI is approximately 193 BsF per U.S. Dollar. 

The Company has a Venezuelan equity affiliate, Kelko Quaker Chemical, S.A. (“Kelko Venezuela”).  Venezuela’s economy has been considered hyper inflationary under U.S. GAAP since 2010, at which time Kelko Venezuela’s functional currency was changed to the U.S. Dollar.  Accordingly, all gains and losses resulting from the remeasurement of Kelko Venezuela’s monetary assets and liabilities to the CADIVI or other published exchange rates are required to be recorded directly to the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income.  As of December 31, 2014, Kelko Venezuela had access to the CADIVI for imported goods, had not been invited to participate in any SICAD I auctions and had limited access to the SICAD II mechanism.  Accordingly, the Company measured its equity investment and other related assets with Kelko Venezuela at the CADIVI exchange rate at December 31, 2014.  In light of the first quarter of 2015 changes to Venezuela’s foreign exchange controls and the on-going economic challenges in Venezuela, the Company re-assessed Kelko Venezuela’s access to U.S. Dollars, the impact on the operations of Kelko Venezuela, and the impact on the Company’s equity investment and other related assets.  During the first quarter of 2015, the Company determined that the CADIVI was no longer available to Kelko Venezuela for import transactions and the government has yet to disclose who can access or trade on the newly formed combined SICAD mechanism and no auctions have occurred to date.  As a result, the Company revalued its equity investment in Kelko Venezuela and other related assets to the SIMADI exchange rate of approximately 193 BsF per U.S. Dollar as of March 31, 2015.  This resulted in a charge of approximately $2,806, or $0.21 per diluted share, recorded in the first quarter of 2015.  As of March 31, 2015, the Company’s equity investment in Kelko Venezuela was $137.

As part of the Company’s chemical management services, certain third-party product sales to customers are managed by the Company.  Where the Company acts as the principal, revenue is recognized on a gross reporting basis at the selling price negotiated with customers.  Where the Company acts as an agent, such revenue is recorded using net reporting as service revenues, at the amount of the administrative fee earned by the Company for ordering the goods.  Third-party products transferred under arrangements resulting in net reporting totaled $11,865 and $10,573 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively.

Note 2 – Recently Issued Accounting Standards

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting standard update in April 2015 regarding the presentation of debt issuance costs on the balance sheet.  The update requires capitalized debt issuance costs be presented on the balance sheet as a reduction to debt, rather than recorded as a separate asset.  The amendments in this update are effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and should be applied on a retrospective basis for the periods presented.  Early adoption is permitted.  The Company is currently evaluating the effects of this guidance.

Note 3 – Business Segments

The Company’s reportable operating segments are organized by geography as follows: (i) North America, (ii) Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”), (iii) Asia/Pacific and (iv) South America.  Operating earnings, excluding indirect operating expenses, for the Company’s reportable operating segments are comprised of revenues less costs of goods sold and SG&A directly related to the respective regions’ product sales.  The indirect operating expenses consist of SG&A related expenses that are not directly attributable to the product sales of each respective reportable operating segment.  Other items not specifically identified with the Company’s reportable operating segments include interest expense, interest income, license fees from non-consolidated affiliates and other income (expense).

The following table presents information about the performance of the Company’s reportable operating segments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014:

Inter-segment revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014 were $2,020 and $1,950 for North America, $4,779 and $5,326 for EMEA, $94 and $107 for Asia/Pacific and $9 and $0 for South America, respectively.  However, all inter-segment transactions have been eliminated from each reportable operating segment’s net sales and earnings for all periods presented.

Note 4 – Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognized the following share-based compensation expense in selling, general and administrative expenses in its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014:

As of March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, the Company recorded $287 and $239, respectively, of excess tax benefits in capital in excess of par value on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, related to stock option exercises.  The Company’s estimated taxes payable were sufficient to fully recognize these benefits as cash inflows from financing activities in its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, which represented the Company’s estimate of cash savings through March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively.

Stock option activity under all plans is as follows:

As of March 31, 2015, the total intrinsic value of options outstanding was approximately $2,022, and the total intrinsic value of exercisable options was $1,457.  Intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the current market price of the underlying security and the strike price of a related option.

A summary of the Company’s outstanding stock options at March 31, 2015 is as follows: 

As of March 31, 2015, unrecognized compensation expense related to options granted during 2012 was $4, for options granted during 2013 was $198, for options granted during 2014 was $522 and for options granted in 2015 was $859.

During the first quarter of 2015, the Company granted stock options under its LTIP plan that are subject only to time vesting over a three-year period.  For the purposes of determining the fair value of stock option awards, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model and the assumptions set forth in the table below:

Approximately $27 of expense was recorded on these options during the first three months of 2015.  The fair value of these awards is amortized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the awards.

Activity of nonvested shares granted under the Company’s LTIP plan is shown below:

The fair value of the nonvested stock is based on the trading price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.  The Company adjusts the grant date fair value for expected forfeitures based on historical experience for similar awards.  As of March 31, 2015, unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards was $5,146 to be recognized over a weighted average remaining period of 2.34 years.

Activity of nonvested restricted stock units granted under the Company’s LTIP plan is shown below:

The fair value of the nonvested restricted stock units is based on the trading price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.  The Company adjusts the grant date fair value for expected forfeitures based on historical experience for similar awards.  As of March 31, 2015, unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards was $274 to be recognized over a weighted average remaining period of 2.17 years.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

In 2000, the Board adopted an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) whereby employees may purchase Company stock through a payroll deduction plan.  Purchases are made from the plan and credited to each participant’s account at the end of each month, the “Investment Date.”  The purchase price of the stock is 85% of the fair market value on the Investment Date.  The plan is compensatory and the 15% discount is expensed on the Investment Date.  All employees, including officers, are eligible to participate in this plan.  A participant may withdraw all uninvested payment balances credited to a participant’s account at any time.  An employee whose stock ownership of the Company exceeds five percent of the outstanding common stock is not eligible to participate in this plan.

2013 Director Stock Ownership Plan

In 2013, the Company adopted the 2013 Director Stock Ownership Plan (the “Plan”), to encourage the Directors to increase their investment in the Company, which was approved at the Company’s May 2013 shareholders’ meeting.  The Plan authorizes the issuance of up to 75,000 shares of Quaker common stock in accordance with the terms of the Plan in payment of all or a portion of the annual cash retainer payable to each of the Company’s non-employee directors in 2013 and subsequent years during the term of the Plan.  Under the Plan, each director who, on May 1^st of the applicable calendar year, owns less than 400% of the annual cash retainer for the applicable calendar year, divided by the average of the closing price of a share of Quaker Common Stock as reported by the composite tape of the New York Stock Exchange for the previous calendar year (the “Threshold Amount”), is required to receive 75% of the annual cash retainer in Quaker common stock and 25% of the retainer in cash, unless the director elects to receive a greater percentage of Quaker common stock (up to 100%) of the annual cash retainer for the applicable year.  Each director who owns more than the Threshold Amount may elect to receive common stock in payment of a percentage (up to 100%) of the annual cash retainer.  The annual retainer is $50 and the retainer payment date is June 1.

Note 5 – Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

The components of net periodic benefit cost for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014 are as follows:

During 2013, it was discovered that the Company’s subsidiary in the United Kingdom (“U.K.”) did not appropriately amend a trust for a legacy change in its pension scheme, as it related to a past retirement age equalization law.  Given the lack of an official deed to the pension trust, the effective date of the change to the Subsidiary’s pension scheme differed from the Company’s historical beliefs, but the extent of the potential exposure was not estimable.  In the first quarter of 2014, the Company recorded costs of $902, or $0.05 per diluted share, related to prior service cost and interest cost, to appropriately reflect the past plan amendment related to the retirement age equalization law.

Employer Contributions:

The Company previously disclosed in its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014, that it expected to make minimum cash contributions of $4,176 to its pension plans and $568 to its other postretirement benefit plan in 2015.  As of March 31, 2015, $1,280 and $237 of contributions have been made to the Company’s pension plans and its postretirement benefit plans, respectively.

Note 6 – Other expense, net

Other expense, net includes:

Note 7 – Income Taxes and Uncertain Income Tax Positions

The Company’s first quarter of 2015 effective tax rate was 30.8%, as compared to an effective tax rate of 34.8% for the first quarter of 2014.  The primary contributors to the decrease in the current quarter’s effective tax rate were lower changes in reserves related to uncertain tax positions in the first quarter of 2015 and certain one-time items that increased the first quarter of 2014’s effective tax rate.

As of March 31, 2015, the Company’s cumulative liability for gross unrecognized tax benefits was $11,092.  At December 31, 2014, the Company’s cumulative liability for gross unrecognized tax benefits was $11,845.

The Company continues to recognize interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax positions as a component of taxes on income before equity in net income of associated companies in its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  The Company recognized ($218) for interest and $73 for penalties on its Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2015, and ($212) for interest and ($9) for penalties on its Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income during the three months ended March 31, 2014.  As of March 31, 2015, the Company had accrued $1,473 for cumulative interest and $1,722 for cumulative penalties, compared to $1,868 for cumulative interest and $1,845 for cumulative penalties accrued at December 31, 2014.

During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, the Company recognized decreases of approximately $741 and $1,075, respectively, in its cumulative liability for gross unrecognized tax benefits due to the expiration of the applicable statutes of limitations for certain tax years.

The Company estimates that during the year ending December 31, 2015 it will reduce its cumulative liability for gross unrecognized tax benefits by approximately $1,800 to $1,900 due to the expiration of the statute of limitations with regard to certain tax positions.  This estimated reduction in the cumulative liability for unrecognized tax benefits does not consider any increase in liability for unrecognized tax benefits with regard to existing tax positions or any increase in cumulative liability for unrecognized tax benefits with regard to new tax positions for the year ending December 31, 2015.

The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. Federal income tax, as well as the income tax of various state and foreign tax jurisdictions.  Tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions include Brazil from 2000, Italy from 2007, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom from 2009, Spain and China from 2010, the United States from 2011, and various domestic state tax jurisdictions from 1993.

During 2012, the Italian tax authorities initiated a transfer pricing audit of the Company’s Italian subsidiary relating to the tax years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, but has only formally assessed the tax years 2007, 2008 and 2009.  The Company is pursuing its administrative remedies to appeal these assessments.   There have been no significant developments during the first quarter of 2015 related to these tax assessments.  With respect to the Italian income tax assessment for 2007, the Company has established a reserve for uncertain tax positions and does not expect a material difference from this reserve as of March 31, 2015.  Related to the assessments for 2008 and 2009, the Company and outside counsel believe it should prevail on the merits of each case.  Therefore, the Company does not believe it has exposure warranting an uncertain tax position reserve as of March 31, 2015.

Note 8 – Earnings Per Share

The following table summarizes earnings per share calculations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014:

The following aggregate numbers of stock options and restricted stock units are not included in the diluted earnings per share calculation since the effect would have been anti-dilutive: 4,497 and 2,824 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively.

Note 9 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are as follows and the Company has recorded no impairment charges in the past:

Gross carrying amounts and accumulated amortization for definite-lived intangible assets as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 were as follows: