Kronos Worldwide's Earnings and Revenues Lag Estimates in Q4

Kronos Worldwide, Inc. KRO reported fourth-quarter 2024 loss of 12 cents per share, wider than a loss of 5 cents per share a year ago. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was earnings of 11 cents per share. The bottom line in the reported quarter was hurt by higher income tax expenses.Find the latest earnings estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.Net sales increased around 6% year over year to $423.1 million due to higher sales volumes on stronger demand for titanium dioxide (TiO2) in all of KRO’s major markets and increased average TiO2 selling prices. The top line, however, missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $463.9 million.Kronos Worldwide Inc Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Kronos Worldwide Inc price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Kronos Worldwide Inc QuoteKRO’s Volumes and PricingTiO2 production volumes (thousand metric tons) were up roughly 30% year over year to 136 in the fourth quarter. TiO2 sales volumes (thousand metric tons) rose 4% to 110 in the quarter. Average TiO2 selling prices were up 2% year over year.TiO2 segment profit was $33.1 million in the reported quarter. This compares to a segment loss of $1.3 million a year ago. The upside is driven primarily by improved income from operations, which resulted from increased sales and production volumes, lower production costs, and higher TiO2 selling prices.KRO’s FY24 ResultsEarnings (as reported) for full-year 2024 were 75 cents per share. This is in contrast with a loss of 43 cents a year ago.  Sales rose around 13% year over year to $1,887.1 million. Kronos Worldwide’s FinancialsKronos ended 2024 with cash and cash equivalents of $106.7 million, down roughly 45% year over year. Long-term debt decreased roughly 3% year over year to $429.1 million.KRO’s OutlookWhile KRO expects demand to improve in 2025, particularly in Europe, it sees overall demand to remain below historical levels factoring in continued global economic uncertainty partly due to the potential implementation of tariffs by the United States and other countries.  KRO also anticipates pricing pressures to be somewhat moderated in 2025, particularly in Europe, resulting from the duties on low-cost imports from China. Based on improved demand, the company expects to report higher operating results in 2025 compared with 2024.KRO Stock’s Price PerformanceShares of Kronos have lost 15.2% in the past year against the Zacks Chemicals Diversified industry’s 9% decline.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchKRO’s Zacks Rank & Other Key PicksKRO currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Better-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are Gold Royalty Corp. GROY, Orla Mining Ltd. ORLA and i-80 Gold Corp. IAUX, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Gold Royalty is slated to release fourth-quarter results on March 19. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GROY’s fourth-quarter is pegged at a loss of a penny per share. GROY beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters while missing once, with the average earnings surprise being 125%. GROY has gained 15% so far this year.Orla Mining is slated to report fourth-quarter results on March 18. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at 7 cents. ORLA beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the last four quarters while missing once and meeting on the other occasion, with the average earnings surprise being 97.9%. ORLA has rallied 32% year to date. i-80 Gold is expected to release fourth-quarter results on March 11. IAUX shares have rallied 43% year to date.Just Released: Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025Hurry – you can still get in early on our 10 top tickers for 2025. Handpicked by Zacks Director of Research Sheraz Mian, this portfolio has been stunningly and consistently successful. From inception in 2012 through November, 2024, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,112.6%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +475.6%. Sheraz has combed through 4,400 companies covered by the Zacks Rank and handpicked the best 10 to buy and hold in 2025. You can still be among the first to see these just-released stocks with enormous potential. See New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Kronos Worldwide Inc (KRO): Free Stock Analysis Report Orla Mining Ltd. (ORLA): Free Stock Analysis Report Gold Royalty Corp. (GROY): Free Stock Analysis Report i-80 Gold Corp. (IAUX): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks