Squarepoint Ops LLC Purchases 86,900 Shares of Tronox Holdings plc (NYSE:TROX)

Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its holdings in shares of Tronox Holdings plc (NYSE:TROX - Free Report) by 54.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 247,065 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 86,900 shares during the quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned 0.16% of Tronox worth $2,488,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Two Sigma Advisers LP raised its holdings in shares of Tronox by 802.0% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 176,800 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,780,000 after purchasing an additional 157,200 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Tronox by 253.5% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 512,739 shares of the company's stock worth $5,163,000 after buying an additional 367,675 shares during the last quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC grew its holdings in shares of Tronox by 138.1% in the fourth quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC now owns 32,210 shares of the company's stock worth $324,000 after acquiring an additional 18,680 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Tronox by 49.0% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 33,455 shares of the company's stock valued at $337,000 after acquiring an additional 11,006 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Tronox by 11.1% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 1,898,216 shares of the company's stock worth $19,115,000 after purchasing an additional 189,301 shares during the period. 73.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Tronox Price Performance

Shares of Tronox stock traded up $0.60 on Friday, hitting $5.70. 8,164,640 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,671,033. The stock has a market capitalization of $903.23 million, a P/E ratio of -18.39 and a beta of 1.40. Tronox Holdings plc has a 52 week low of $4.35 and a 52 week high of $20.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 2.47. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $5.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $8.17.

Tronox (NYSE:TROX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported ($0.15) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.02 by ($0.17). Tronox had a negative return on equity of 0.63% and a negative net margin of 1.56%. The firm had revenue of $738.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $745.96 million. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.05) earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Tronox Holdings plc will post 0.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Tronox Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.77%. Tronox's dividend payout ratio is presently -52.63%.

Insider Activity at Tronox

In other Tronox news, Director Stephen J. Jones bought 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $7.17 per share, for a total transaction of $215,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,000 shares in the company, valued at $215,100. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Jeffrey N. Neuman purchased 10,266 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $4.89 per share, for a total transaction of $50,200.74. Following the completion of the acquisition, the senior vice president now owns 10,266 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $50,200.74. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Tronox from $11.50 to $7.50 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Tronox from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $5.00 to $7.00 in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $7.00 price objective (down from $13.00) on shares of Tronox in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Tronox from $13.00 to $8.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Tronox from $12.00 to $8.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $8.31.

About Tronox

Tronox Holdings plc operates as a vertically integrated manufacturer of TiO2 pigment in North America, South and Central America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates titanium-bearing mineral sand mines; and engages in beneficiation and smelting operations. It offers TiO2 pigment; ultrafine specialty TiO2; zircon; feedstock; pig iron; monazite; titanium tetrachloride; and other products.