Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) Raised to “Buy” at StockNews.com

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday.

Kronos Worldwide Stock Up 2.0 %

NYSE:KRO opened at $7.99 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 2.68. The firm has a market cap of $918.56 million, a P/E ratio of 9.86 and a beta of 1.16. Kronos Worldwide has a fifty-two week low of $7.17 and a fifty-two week high of $14.50. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $8.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.38.

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

Insider Activity at Kronos Worldwide

In related news, Director Kevin B. Kramer acquired 14,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $7.43 per share, with a total value of $104,020.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 21,460 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $159,447.80. This trade represents a 187.67 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kronos Worldwide

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 85,379 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $832,000 after buying an additional 3,498 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its position in Kronos Worldwide by 42.8% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 80,100 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $781,000 after acquiring an additional 24,000 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming increased its position in Kronos Worldwide by 28.1% during the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 5,031 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,105 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in Kronos Worldwide by 55.8% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 192,469 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,877,000 after acquiring an additional 68,959 shares during the period. Finally, Luminus Management LLC purchased a new position in Kronos Worldwide in the fourth quarter worth about $2,538,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 15.11% 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.