Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO) Short Interest Up 23.0% in April

Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 939,900 shares, an increase of 23.0% from the March 31st total of 763,900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 214,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.4 days. Currently, 4.4% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Kronos Worldwide from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th.

Kronos Worldwide Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of Kronos Worldwide stock opened at $7.58 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $7.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.36. Kronos Worldwide has a fifty-two week low of $6.19 and a fifty-two week high of $14.50. The firm has a market cap of $872.32 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.36 and a beta of 1.21. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.12) earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $423.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $494.19 million.

Kronos Worldwide Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 11th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.64%. Kronos Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.03%.

Insider Activity at Kronos Worldwide

In related news, Director Kevin B. Kramer bought 14,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $7.43 per share, for a total transaction of $104,020.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,460 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 is available through this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kronos Worldwide

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 260.5% during the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 68,501 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $528,000 after purchasing an additional 49,501 shares during the last quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Kronos Worldwide by 15.8% during the first quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC now owns 24,627 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $184,000 after buying an additional 3,367 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 365.1% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 53,255 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $398,000 after buying an additional 41,805 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 21.3% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 42,377 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $317,000 after acquiring an additional 7,429 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 85,379 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $832,000 after acquiring an additional 3,498 shares during the period. 15.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.