Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) Hits New 52-Week High - What's Next?

Key Points

• Kronos Worldwide shares surged to a new 52-week high after the company reported second-quarter EPS of $0.13, beating the $0.07 consensus, while revenue rose 13% year over year to $558.1 million.
• Profitability improved sharply, with net income reaching $15.2 million and EBITDA more than doubling to $52.9 million, supported by higher volumes, market-share gains, lower costs and operational improvements.
• Despite the momentum, analysts remain cautious: the consensus rating is “Hold” with a $5.00 price target, while risks include lower titanium dioxide prices, currency headwinds, elevated energy costs and tax expenses. The company maintained its quarterly dividend at $0.05 per share.

Kronos Worldwide Inc (NYSE:KRO - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $8.72 and last traded at $8.2120, with a volume of 2193203 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $6.21.

Kronos Worldwide News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kronos Worldwide this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Kronos reported earnings of $0.13 per share, versus the $0.07 analyst consensus and a $0.08 loss in the prior-year quarter. Revenue rose 13% year over year to $558.1 million, well above the roughly $484.5 million estimate. Kronos Worldwide Shares Surge on Q2 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability and margins improved: Net income reached $15.2 million, compared with a $9.2 million loss a year earlier. TiO₂ segment profit increased to $41.0 million from $10.9 million, while EBITDA more than doubled to $52.9 million from $22.2 million.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational improvements supported results: Higher sales volumes, market-share gains, lower feedstock and production costs, and cost-reduction initiatives implemented late last year helped offset pricing pressure. Management said it sees positive momentum entering the second half and expects pricing actions and cost discipline to help manage elevated energy costs. Kronos Worldwide Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained: The board declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share, payable September 17 to shareholders of record September 3. The dividend provides continued income support and represents an annualized yield of approximately 3.2%. Kronos Worldwide Announces Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Risks remain: Lower average titanium dioxide selling prices, unfavorable currency movements, elevated energy costs and a $2.0 million tax expense tied to a German audit could limit future earnings growth. Segment profit was also reduced by approximately $12 million from currency effects during the quarter.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on KRO. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kronos Worldwide from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kronos Worldwide from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Kronos Worldwide from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $5.00.

Kronos Worldwide Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 3.18. The company has a market capitalization of $944.79 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.64 and a beta of 1.01. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.36.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.06. Kronos Worldwide had a negative net margin of 5.63% and a negative return on equity of 12.22%. The business had revenue of $558.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $484.51 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kronos Worldwide Inc will post -0.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kronos Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Kronos Worldwide's dividend payout ratio is -17.24%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kronos Worldwide

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide in the second quarter valued at $42,000. Jain Global LLC acquired a new position in Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter worth $46,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd increased its holdings in Kronos Worldwide by 68.1% during the 4th quarter. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd now owns 11,600 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 4,700 shares during the period. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. Finally, Alpine Global Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter worth about $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 15.11% of the company's stock.

Kronos Worldwide Company Profile

Kronos Worldwide, Inc is a leading global producer of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) 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 TiO₂ 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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