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

Shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) saw unusually-high trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 11,692 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 34% from the previous session’s volume of 17,626 shares.The stock last traded at $18.3050 and had previously closed at $18.04.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised Valhi from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Sell”.

Valhi Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $519.81 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.25 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $15.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.54. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.96 by ($0.18). Valhi had a negative net margin of 2.36% and a negative return on equity of 2.77%. The firm had revenue of $606.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $606.10 million.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Valhi’s payout ratio is currently -17.88%.

Institutional Trading of Valhi

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VHI. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Valhi in the second quarter valued at $2,776,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valhi by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 144,202 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,343,000 after purchasing an additional 2,753 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Valhi by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 59,303 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $715,000 after purchasing an additional 1,116 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Valhi in the second quarter valued at about $687,000. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in Valhi in the second quarter valued at about $321,000. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.