Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Stock Crosses Below Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $13.84 and traded as low as $13.06. Valhi shares last traded at $13.55, with a volume of 15,557 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on VHI. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Valhi in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Valhi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Valhi has an average rating of “Sell”.

Valhi Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $383.46 million, a P/E ratio of -5.33 and a beta of 0.96. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $14.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 3.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.77 by ($0.70). Valhi had a negative return on equity of 4.29% and a negative net margin of 3.45%.The business had revenue of $560.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $564.20 million.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. Valhi’s payout ratio is presently -12.60%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VHI. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Valhi by 1.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 144,202 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,343,000 after buying an additional 2,753 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Valhi by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 59,303 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $715,000 after buying an additional 1,116 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valhi during the 4th quarter worth about $201,000. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valhi during the 4th quarter worth about $183,000. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Valhi by 79.9% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,520 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $119,000 after acquiring an additional 3,341 shares during the last quarter. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.