Marshall Wace LLP Reduces Position in Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO)

Marshall Wace LLP trimmed its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO) by 6.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 73,357 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 5,466 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP’s holdings in Kronos Worldwide were worth $715,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in KRO. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide in the fourth quarter worth approximately $165,000. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Kronos Worldwide by 11.6% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 37,592 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $366,000 after purchasing an additional 3,897 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in Kronos Worldwide by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 734,230 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $7,159,000 after purchasing an additional 31,830 shares during the period. Polymer Capital Management US LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide during the fourth quarter valued at $184,000. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kronos Worldwide in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Institutional investors own 15.11% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kevin B. Kramer acquired 14,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $7.43 per share, with a total value of $104,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,460 shares in the company, valued at $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

Kronos Worldwide Trading Down 2.9 %

KRO opened at $7.49 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 2.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $7.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.41. The company has a market capitalization of $861.62 million, a P/E ratio of 9.25 and a beta of 1.21. Kronos Worldwide, Inc. has a 52 week low of $6.19 and a 52 week high of $14.50.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $494.19 million.

Kronos Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were given a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.67%. Kronos Worldwide’s payout ratio is presently 27.03%.

Kronos Worldwide 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.