Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) Trading Up 7% – Here’s Why

Kronos Worldwide Inc (NYSE:KRO) shares shot up 7% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $7.23 and last traded at $7.2020. 70,390 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 328,159 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.73.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Kronos Worldwide from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Kronos Worldwide from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kronos Worldwide from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $5.00.

Kronos Worldwide Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $822.63 million, a PE ratio of -6.17 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 3.18 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $6.66 and its 200 day moving average is $6.24.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.33) by $0.29. The business had revenue of $509.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $524.00 million. Kronos Worldwide had a negative net margin of 7.12% and a negative return on equity of 15.01%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Kronos Worldwide Inc will post -0.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kronos Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 4th. Kronos Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio is currently -17.24%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kronos Worldwide

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Kronos Worldwide in the second quarter worth about $42,000. Wealthspire Retirement LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kronos Worldwide during the first quarter valued at about $66,000. Jain Global LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kronos Worldwide in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $46,000. IMC Chicago LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kronos Worldwide in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $68,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in Kronos Worldwide in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $70,000. 15.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kronos Worldwide Company Profile

Kronos Worldwide, Inc is a leading global producer of titanium dioxide (TiO?) pigments, a white pigment widely used in paints, coatings, plastics, paper, and many other industrial and consumer applications. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company markets its products under the “Kronos” brand and has built a reputation for high-quality pigment performance, technical support, and reliable supply. Kronos serves a diverse customer base across coatings manufacturers, plastic compounders, and paper producers, delivering solutions tailored to enhance opacity, color strength, and durability.

In addition to its core TiO? offerings, Kronos produces and markets iron oxide pigments and zircon-based specialty chemicals, expanding its portfolio to meet the needs of markets such as construction, ceramics, and glass.