Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Cross Below 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s stock price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $25.04 and traded as low as $16.15. Valhi shares last traded at $16.33, with a volume of 19,801 shares traded.

Valhi Stock Up 1.4 %

The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market cap of $462.06 million, a P/E ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 1.19. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $18.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.04.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.20. Valhi had a return on equity of 6.90% and a net margin of 4.29%. The company had revenue of $480.90 million for the quarter.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th were issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 17th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.96%. Valhi’s payout ratio is currently 8.47%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VHI. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Valhi by 52.9% in the 4th quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 50,414 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,179,000 after acquiring an additional 17,439 shares in the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Valhi by 105.9% during the fourth quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 27,402 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $641,000 after buying an additional 14,091 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valhi in the 4th quarter valued at about $315,000. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valhi in the 4th quarter worth approximately $203,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets purchased a new position in shares of Valhi in the 4th quarter worth approximately $202,000. Hedge funds and other 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.