Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Gap Down to $30.76

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) shares gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $30.76, but opened at $30.00. Valhi shares last traded at $30.72, with a volume of 1,792 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Valhi Trading Down 3.0 %

The company has a market capitalization of $783.34 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,384.00 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $19.76 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.39. 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 (NYSE:VHI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $559.70 million for the quarter.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. 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. increased its stake in Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) by 28.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund 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 approximately 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.