Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday . 28,950 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 64% from the previous session’s volume of 17,628 shares.The stock last traded at $23.31 and had previously closed at $22.50.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. StockNews.com cut shares of Valhi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th.

Valhi Trading Down 1.0 %

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $28.42 and its 200-day moving average is $25.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 1.65. The company has a market capitalization of $630.13 million, a P/E ratio of 7.14 and a beta of 1.20.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th were paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. Valhi’s payout ratio is presently 10.26%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC grew its position in shares of Valhi by 322.8% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 2,389 shares during the period. Martingale Asset Management L P bought a new stake in Valhi during the third quarter worth about $217,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Valhi in the third quarter worth about $244,000. Greenwood Gearhart Inc. bought a new position in shares of Valhi during the third quarter valued at approximately $268,000. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valhi during the third quarter valued at approximately $408,000. 3.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.