Head-To-Head Survey: Kronos Worldwide (KRO) and The Competition

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) is one of 295 public companies in the “Chemicals” industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Kronos Worldwide to related companies based on the strength of its earnings, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends and valuation.

Risk and Volatility

Kronos Worldwide has a beta of 1.1, meaning that its stock price is 10% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Kronos Worldwide’s rivals have a beta of 1.26, meaning that their average stock price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

15.1% of Kronos Worldwide shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 47.5% of shares of all “Chemicals” companies are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Kronos Worldwide shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 13.9% of shares of all “Chemicals” companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Kronos Worldwide and its rivals revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Net Income	Price/Earnings Ratio
Kronos Worldwide	$1.86 billion	-$110.90 million	-7.89
Kronos Worldwide Competitors	$6.38 billion	$222.31 million	-8.32

Kronos Worldwide’s rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Kronos Worldwide. Kronos Worldwide is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Dividends

Kronos Worldwide pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.7%. Kronos Worldwide pays out -21.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, “Chemicals” companies pay a dividend yield of 3.1% and pay out 110.2% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares Kronos Worldwide and its rivals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Kronos Worldwide	-5.63%	-12.28%	-5.16%
Kronos Worldwide Competitors	-61.52%	1.06%	-1.43%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Kronos Worldwide and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Kronos Worldwide	2	1	1	0	1.75
Kronos Worldwide Competitors	3233	12156	14084	515	2.40

Kronos Worldwide currently has a consensus price target of $8.50, indicating a potential upside of 13.33%. As a group, “Chemicals” companies have a potential upside of 7.10%. Given Kronos Worldwide’s higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Kronos Worldwide is more favorable than its rivals.

Summary

Kronos Worldwide rivals beat Kronos Worldwide on 11 of the 15 factors compared.

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. It also produces ilmenite, a raw material used directly as a feedstock by sulfate-process TiO2 plants; iron-based chemicals, which are used as treatment and conditioning agents for industrial effluents and municipal wastewater, as well as in the manufacture of iron pigments, cement, and agricultural products; specialty chemicals for use in the formulation of pearlescent pigments, and production of electroceramic capacitors for cell phones and other electronic devices, as well as for use in natural gas pipe, and other specialty applications. In addition, the company provides technical services for its products. It sells its products under the KRONOS brand through agents and distributors to paint, plastics, decorative laminate, and paper manufacturers. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Kronos Worldwide, Inc. is a subsidiary of Valhi, Inc.