Boston Partners Raises Holdings in Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO)

Boston Partners grew its stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO - Free Report) by 80.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,412,106 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after purchasing an additional 629,387 shares during the quarter. Boston Partners owned approximately 1.23% of Kronos Worldwide worth $13,765,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in Kronos Worldwide by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 575,541 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $7,165,000 after buying an additional 8,218 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 489,177 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $4,769,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 39.0% in the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 314,862 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $3,920,000 after purchasing an additional 88,277 shares during the period. Edgestream Partners L.P. bought a new position in Kronos Worldwide in the third quarter worth approximately $2,824,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Kronos Worldwide by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 183,568 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $1,790,000 after purchasing an additional 3,916 shares during the period. 15.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kronos Worldwide Stock Down 2.0 %

Shares of KRO traded down $0.16 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $7.66. The company's stock had a trading volume of 223,191 shares, compared to its average volume of 193,490. The firm has a market capitalization of $881.18 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.46 and a beta of 1.16. The company's 50-day moving average is $8.90 and its 200-day moving average is $10.30. The company has a current ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Kronos Worldwide, Inc. has a 52-week low of $7.17 and a 52-week high of $14.50.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.19 by ($0.31). The company had revenue of $423.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $494.19 million. Kronos Worldwide had a net margin of 5.05% and a return on equity of 11.74%.

Kronos Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were issued a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.61%. Kronos Worldwide's dividend payout ratio is presently 27.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Kronos Worldwide

In other news, Director Kevin B. Kramer purchased 14,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were acquired 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 owns 21,460 shares of the company's stock, valued at $159,447.80. This trade represents a 187.67 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.11% of the company's stock.

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.