Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Stock Price Passes Below 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s share price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $14.92 and traded as low as $13.92. Valhi shares last traded at $14.0550, with a volume of 13,136 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VHI. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valhi to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Valhi in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Sell” and a consensus price target of $12.00.

Valhi Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 3.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $12.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $397.76 million, a P/E ratio of 21.96 and a beta of 1.18.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The basic materials company reported ($0.33) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by ($1.16). The firm had revenue of $503.50 million during the quarter. Valhi had a return on equity of 2.22% and a net margin of 0.89%.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 21st were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valhi in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Valhi by 133.9% during the second 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 in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in Valhi by 79.9% in the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,520 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 3,341 shares in the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in Valhi in the 3rd quarter worth about $228,000. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Valhi in the 1st quarter worth about $289,000. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.