Marshall Wace LLP Sells 5,466 Shares of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO)

Marshall Wace LLP cut its stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO) by 6.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 73,357 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 5,466 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 0.06% of Kronos Worldwide worth $715,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 329.5% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 33,695 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $419,000 after purchasing an additional 25,849 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in Kronos Worldwide by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 34,948 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $341,000 after buying an additional 2,800 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners raised its holdings in Kronos Worldwide by 80.4% during the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,412,106 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $13,765,000 after acquiring an additional 629,387 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in Kronos Worldwide during the fourth quarter valued at about $233,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 183,568 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,790,000 after acquiring an additional 3,916 shares in the last quarter. 15.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Kronos Worldwide

In related news, Director Kevin B. Kramer acquired 14,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $7.43 per share, for a total transaction of $104,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,460 shares in the company, valued at approximately $159,447.80. This trade represents a 187.67 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Kronos Worldwide Trading Down 2.9 %

Shares of KRO stock opened at $7.49 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $861.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.25 and a beta of 1.21. Kronos Worldwide, Inc. has a 12-month low of $6.19 and a 12-month high of $14.50. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $7.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $9.41.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.31). Kronos Worldwide had a return on equity of 11.74% and a net margin of 5.05%. The firm had revenue of $423.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $494.19 million.

Kronos Worldwide Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. Kronos Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio is 27.03%.

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.