Why Is Kronos Worldwide (KRO) Down 2.7% Since Last Earnings Report?

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Kronos Worldwide (KRO). Shares have lost about 2.7% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Kronos Worldwide due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.Kronos' Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates on Cost Actions, Sales MissKronos reported a first-quarter 2026 net loss of 4 cents per share, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 33 cents. Earnings delivered a positive surprise of 87.9%. Net sales were $509.8 million, up 4.1% year over year, but missed the consensus mark of $523.8 million by 2.7%. The quarter reflected improving cost performance, while weaker year-over-year pricing and lower production weighed on profitability. Volume and PricingTiO2 sales volumes rose 4.4% year over year to 142 thousand metric tons in the quarter, supported by higher volumes in North American, Latin American and export markets. Production volumes, however, declined 10.5% to 128 thousand metric tons, reflecting lower operating rates. On pricing, the company started 2026 with average TiO2 selling prices below the beginning of 2025. Management noted that average TiO2 selling prices increased 2% during the quarter as it works to recover pricing lost during 2025, but pricing remained a year-over-year headwind to both sales and profits. Kronos reported TiO2 segment profit of $15.1 million in the first quarter, down from $41.6 million a year ago. Management attributed the decline primarily to lower average TiO2 selling prices, lower production volumes and an unfavorable currency impact, partially offset by higher sales volumes and lower production costs. FinancialsKronos ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $25.7 million as of March 31, 2026, down from $33.2 million at the end of 2025. Long-term debt stood at $602.7 million as of March 31, 2026, up from $557.4 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. OutlookManagement emphasized continued execution on pricing and cost initiatives as the key operational priorities following the restructuring actions taken late in 2025. Additional increases will be needed as selling prices remain below 2025 levels. Kronos expects gross margin to improve as higher-cost inventory produced in late 2025 works through the system and it realizes the benefit of lower-cost production in 2026, though it is beginning to see higher shipping and production costs tied to Middle East-related supply disruptions and higher energy and raw material costs, particularly in Europe. Customers are still cautious on inventories, but longer lead times and a higher backlog entering 2026 have improved near-term production flexibility, even as demand stays below historical levels and the recovery outlook remains uncertain.How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?Analysts were quiet during the last two month period as none of them issued any earnings estimate revisions.VGM ScoresAt this time, Kronos Worldwide has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for this investment strategy.Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.Outlook Kronos Worldwide has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge GainsQuantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power.Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks