Short Interest in Kronos Worldwide Inc (NYSE:KRO) Rises By 28.2%

Kronos Worldwide Inc (NYSE:KRO) saw a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 2,108,438 shares, an increase of 28.2% from the February 26th total of 1,644,486 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 406,626 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.2 days. Approximately 1.8% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Zacks Research downgraded Kronos Worldwide from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Kronos Worldwide in a research report on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Kronos Worldwide from $6.00 to $5.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat, Kronos Worldwide presently has an average rating of “Strong Sell” and a consensus target price of $6.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kronos Worldwide

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Kronos Worldwide during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd purchased a new position in Kronos Worldwide in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide during the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Jain Global LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide during the 4th quarter valued at about $53,000. 15.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kronos Worldwide Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KRO opened at $6.58 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $5.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 2.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The company has a market cap of $756.91 million, a PE ratio of -6.85 and a beta of 1.12. Kronos Worldwide has a 52-week low of $4.08 and a 52-week high of $7.90.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.72) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by ($0.46). The company had revenue of $418.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $373.26 million. Kronos Worldwide had a negative net margin of 5.96% and a negative return on equity of 11.72%.

Kronos Worldwide Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Kronos Worldwide’s payout ratio is currently -20.83%.

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.