Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Trading Down 7.1% - Here's What Happened

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI - Get Free Report)'s stock price traded down 7.1% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $34.22 and last traded at $34.62. 12,371 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 11% from the average session volume of 13,942 shares. The stock had previously closed at $37.26.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Valhi from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Barclays lifted their target price on Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th.

Valhi Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $999.13 million, a PE ratio of 1,766.00 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a current ratio of 3.49. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $30.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.00.

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

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 6th. Valhi's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1,600.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valhi by 28.4% during the 1st quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 20,879 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 4,620 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Valhi in the 3rd quarter worth about $244,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Valhi by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 117,129 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,012,000 after buying an additional 8,750 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.83% of the company's stock.

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.