First Eagle Investment Management LLC Raises Stake in Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO)

First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 489,177 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.43% of Kronos Worldwide worth $4,769,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KRO. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new position in Kronos Worldwide during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,824,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its position in Kronos Worldwide by 39.0% during the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 314,862 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $3,920,000 after acquiring an additional 88,277 shares in the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management acquired a new position in Kronos Worldwide during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $632,000. Algert Global LLC lifted its position in Kronos Worldwide by 230.0% during the 3rd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 69,215 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $862,000 after acquiring an additional 48,240 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quest Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 522.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 54,826 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $683,000 after purchasing an additional 46,021 shares in the last quarter. 15.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kronos Worldwide Stock Performance

Shares of KRO opened at $7.88 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $9.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.46. Kronos Worldwide, Inc. has a 52-week low of $7.17 and a 52-week high of $14.50. The firm has a market cap of $905.91 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.72 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 2.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.31). The business had revenue of $423.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $494.19 million. Kronos Worldwide had a net margin of 5.05% and a return on equity of 11.74%.

Kronos Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 11th will be given a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 11th. Kronos Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Kronos Worldwide from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th.

Insider Activity at Kronos Worldwide

In other news, Director Kevin B. Kramer purchased 14,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the director now owns 21,460 shares in the company, valued at approximately $159,447.80. The trade was a 187.67 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

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.