StockNews.com Upgrades Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) to Buy

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Thursday.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Kronos Worldwide from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Kronos Worldwide from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, December 14th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Kronos Worldwide from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a report on Monday, March 11th.

Kronos Worldwide Stock Down 3.5 %

Kronos Worldwide stock opened at $11.39 on Thursday. Kronos Worldwide has a twelve month low of $6.16 and a twelve month high of $12.48. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $10.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.11. The company has a current ratio of 3.01, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a P/E ratio of -26.49 and a beta of 1.21.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.05) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.07) by $0.02. Kronos Worldwide had a negative net margin of 2.95% and a negative return on equity of 5.73%. The firm had revenue of $400.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $404.94 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that Kronos Worldwide will post 0.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kronos Worldwide

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. raised its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 39,698 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $730,000 after purchasing an additional 692 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA grew its stake in Kronos Worldwide by 25.7% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 5,256 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $97,000 after acquiring an additional 1,073 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Kronos Worldwide by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 165,792 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $1,447,000 after acquiring an additional 1,143 shares during the period. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Kronos Worldwide by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 10,193 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 1,245 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Kronos Worldwide by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 60,411 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $938,000 after acquiring an additional 1,350 shares during the period. 15.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kronos Worldwide Company Profile

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.