Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.70 EPS

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The basic materials company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.77 by ($0.70), FiscalAI reports. Valhi had a negative return on equity of 4.27% and a negative net margin of 3.45%.The business had revenue of $560.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $564.20 million.

Valhi Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VHI traded up $0.34 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $14.62. 17,649 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 13,943. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 2.80 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The company’s 50 day moving average is $14.07 and its 200 day moving average is $13.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $413.60 million, a P/E ratio of -5.75 and a beta of 0.99. Valhi has a one year low of $11.44 and a one year high of $20.00.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is currently -12.60%.

Institutional Trading of Valhi

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Valhi in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in Valhi by 46.1% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,722 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Valhi by 133.9% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,867 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 2,786 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Valhi in the 4th quarter valued at $80,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG boosted its holdings in Valhi by 145.0% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 7,006 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 4,146 shares during the period. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on VHI shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Valhi in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valhi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Sell” and an average target price of $12.00.

About Valhi

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.