Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) Reaches New 1-Year Low - Time to Sell?

Shares of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $6.13 and last traded at $6.62, with a volume of 105502 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $6.24.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on KRO. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kronos Worldwide from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective 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. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Kronos Worldwide from $10.00 to $7.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th.

Kronos Worldwide Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 2.68 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $7.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $8.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $760.39 million, a PE ratio of 8.16 and a beta of 1.22.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 analysts' expectations of $466.56 million.

Kronos Worldwide Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Kronos Worldwide

In other news, Director Kevin B. Kramer acquired 14,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $7.43 per share, for a total transaction 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 represents a 187.67% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kronos Worldwide

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Kronos Worldwide by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,165,098 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $30,859,000 after purchasing an additional 109,674 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,217,961 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $21,625,000 after buying an additional 13,869 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its holdings in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,575,896 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $11,787,000 after buying an additional 163,790 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 734,230 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $7,159,000 after buying an additional 31,830 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 489,177 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $4,769,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. 15.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Kronos Worldwide

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.