Barclays Raises Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Price Target to $20.00

Valhi (NYSE:VHI - Free Report) had its price objective increased by Barclays from $11.00 to $20.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an underweight rating on the basic materials company's stock.

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Valhi from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th.

Valhi Price Performance

Shares of Valhi stock traded up $4.43 on Wednesday, reaching $33.94. The stock had a trading volume of 69,014 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,449. The business's 50 day moving average is $23.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.43. The company has a current ratio of 3.49, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Valhi has a 1 year low of $10.80 and a 1 year high of $34.14. The company has a market cap of $960.50 million, a P/E ratio of 1,707.00 and a beta of 1.28.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $559.70 million during the quarter. Valhi had a net margin of 1.27% and a return on equity of 2.02%.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.94%. Valhi's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1,600.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Valhi stock. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI - Free Report) by 28.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 20,879 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 4,620 shares during the quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned 0.07% of Valhi worth $359,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. 3.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valhi Company Profile

Valhi, Inc engages in the chemicals, component products, and real estate management and development businesses in Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company's Chemicals segment produces and markets titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2), which are white inorganic pigments used in various applications by paint, plastics, decorative laminate, and paper manufacturers.