Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Gap Down After Earnings Miss

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) shares gapped down before the market opened on Friday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $18.11, but opened at $17.55. Valhi shares last traded at $17.94, with a volume of 2,026 shares changing hands.

The basic materials company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.66 by ($0.07). Valhi had a return on equity of 6.90% and a net margin of 4.29%. The business had revenue of $538.60 million during the quarter.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th were given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 17th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.82%. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.47%.

Institutional Trading of Valhi

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valhi during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,011,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in Valhi by 11.2% in the 1st quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 18,512 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 1,870 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Valhi by 6,670.8% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,625 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 1,601 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its stake in shares of Valhi by 105.8% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 2,488 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 1,279 shares during the period. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valhi during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $315,000. 3.83% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valhi Stock Down 3.1 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 1.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $496.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 1.33. The business has a fifty day moving average of $16.82 and a 200 day moving average of $21.77.

Valhi Company Profile

Valhi, Inc engages in the chemicals, component products, and real estate management and development businesses in Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company’s Chemicals segment produces and markets titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2), which are white inorganic pigments used in various applications by paint, plastics, decorative laminate, and paper manufacturers.