Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) Shares Up 7.2% - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Shares jumped 7.2% intraday to about $6.78 on Tuesday, with 258,814 shares traded—below the average session volume of 329,481.
• Despite the rally, the stock carries a consensus Strong Sell rating from analysts and a consensus price target of $6.00 after several recent downgrades.
• Kronos reported a large EPS miss (Q: ($0.72) vs. estimate ($0.26)), showing negative net margin (−5.96%) and ROE (−11.72%) though revenue topped estimates, and it pays a $0.05 quarterly dividend (≈3.0% yield).

Kronos Worldwide Inc (NYSE:KRO - Get Free Report)'s stock price shot up 7.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $6.70 and last traded at $6.7780. 258,814 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 21% from the average session volume of 329,481 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.32.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on KRO. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Kronos Worldwide in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Zacks Research lowered Kronos Worldwide from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat, Kronos Worldwide has a consensus rating of "Strong Sell" and a consensus price target of $6.00.

Kronos Worldwide Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 2.70. The stock has a market cap of $759.79 million, a P/E ratio of -6.88 and a beta of 1.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $6.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $5.36.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.72) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by ($0.46). Kronos Worldwide had a negative net margin of 5.96% and a negative return on equity of 11.72%. The company had revenue of $418.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $373.26 million. On average, analysts forecast that Kronos Worldwide Inc will post -0.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kronos Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 10th. Kronos Worldwide's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -20.83%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. EP Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $110,000. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in Kronos Worldwide by 33.6% during the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 16,661 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 4,192 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in Kronos Worldwide during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $70,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new position in Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co bought a new position in Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Institutional investors own 15.11% of the company's stock.

About Kronos Worldwide

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.

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