Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Trading Down 3.4% – Should You Sell?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s share price traded down 3.4% on Friday . The company traded as low as $21.44 and last traded at $21.44. 2,183 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 84% from the average session volume of 13,292 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.19.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on VHI shares. Barclays boosted their target price 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 Valhi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th.

Valhi Stock Up 0.9 %

The firm has a market cap of $633.81 million, a P/E ratio of 7.18 and a beta of 1.20. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $27.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 1.65.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.43%. Valhi’s payout ratio is presently 10.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

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

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.