Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Gap Down – Here’s What Happened

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $33.37, but opened at $32.17. Valhi shares last traded at $32.29, with a volume of 2,368 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VHI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays upped their price target on Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Valhi from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th.

Valhi Trading Down 2.3 %

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 stock has a market cap of $913.99 million, a P/E ratio of 1,615.50 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $20.16.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $559.70 million for the quarter.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 6th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1,600.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Valhi stock. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its stake in Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) by 28.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 20,879 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,620 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of Valhi worth $359,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Institutional investors own 3.83% of the company’s stock.

About Valhi

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.