Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $18.69, but opened at $18.02. Valhi shares last traded at $17.8350, with a volume of 373 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings upgraded Valhi from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

Valhi Trading Down 0.3%

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $15.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $512.03 million, a P/E ratio of -10.10 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.96 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $606.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $606.10 million. Valhi had a negative return on equity of 2.77% and a negative net margin of 2.36%.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is currently -17.88%.

Institutional Trading of Valhi

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Valhi during the second quarter worth $31,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in shares of Valhi by 46.1% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,722 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Valhi by 133.9% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,867 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 2,786 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Valhi during the 4th quarter worth $80,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in Valhi by 145.0% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 7,006 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 4,146 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.83% of the company’s stock.

Valhi Company Profile

Valhi, Inc is a diversified holding company incorporated in Delaware in 1987 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Through its three wholly owned subsidiaries—Kronos Worldwide, CompX International and NL Industries—Valhi participates in the manufacture and distribution of chemical and security products for industrial, commercial and consumer markets.

Kronos Worldwide is a leading independent producer of titanium dioxide pigment, a white powder that enhances brightness and opacity in paints, coatings, plastics, paper and other applications.