Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) Raised to “Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday.

Kronos Worldwide Stock Down 0.9 %

KRO opened at $7.90 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $8.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $10.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 2.68. Kronos Worldwide has a twelve month low of $7.17 and a twelve month high of $14.50. The firm has a market cap of $908.21 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.75 and a beta of 1.16.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.19 by ($0.31). Kronos Worldwide had a return on equity of 11.74% and a net margin of 5.05%. The firm had revenue of $423.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $494.19 million.

Kronos Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were issued a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. Kronos Worldwide’s payout ratio is 27.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kevin B. Kramer acquired 14,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $7.43 per share, with a total value of $104,020.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 21,460 shares in the company, valued at $159,447.80. The trade was a 187.67 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kronos Worldwide

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KRO. Boston Partners grew its holdings in Kronos Worldwide by 80.4% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,412,106 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $13,765,000 after acquiring an additional 629,387 shares during the last quarter. Luminus Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kronos Worldwide in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,538,000. Edgestream Partners L.P. bought a new position in shares of Kronos Worldwide in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,824,000. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC bought a new position in shares of Kronos Worldwide in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,239,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,165,098 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $30,859,000 after purchasing an additional 109,674 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 15.11% of the company’s stock.

Kronos Worldwide Company Profile

Kronos Worldwide, Inc produces and markets titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2) in Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company produces TiO2 in two crystalline forms, rutile and anatase to impart whiteness, brightness, opacity, and durability for various products, including paints, coatings, plastics, paper, fibers, and ceramics, as well as for various specialty products, such as inks, foods, and cosmetics.