Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO) Short Interest Update

Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 903,900 shares, a decrease of 12.2% from the April 30th total of 1,030,000 shares. Currently, 4.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 240,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.8 days.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kevin B. Kramer purchased 14,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $7.43 per share, with a total value of $104,020.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 21,460 shares of the company's stock, valued at $159,447.80. This trade represents a 187.67% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.11% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Kronos Worldwide

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Federated Hermes Inc. acquired a new stake in Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Kronos Worldwide during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 144.8% during the fourth quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 3,183 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,883 shares in the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE boosted its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 2,455.6% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 6,108 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 5,869 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 15.11% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on KRO. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Kronos Worldwide from $11.00 to $8.50 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Kronos Worldwide from $10.00 to $7.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kronos Worldwide from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th.

Kronos Worldwide Price Performance

Shares of KRO traded up $0.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $6.61. 208,160 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 213,986. Kronos Worldwide has a one year low of $6.13 and a one year high of $14.37. The company has a current ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The business has a 50-day moving average of $7.00 and a 200 day moving average of $8.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $760.39 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.16 and a beta of 1.22.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.17 by ($0.01). Kronos Worldwide had a return on equity of 11.74% and a net margin of 5.05%. The business had revenue of $489.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.56 million.

Kronos Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 9th. Kronos Worldwide's dividend payout ratio is presently 24.10%.

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.