Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Trading Up 6% – Should You Buy?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s stock price was up 6% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $24.55 and last traded at $24.27. Approximately 13,961 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 9% from the average daily volume of 15,415 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.90.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VHI. StockNews.com lowered Valhi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th.

Valhi Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $681.46 million, a P/E ratio of 7.72 and a beta of 1.22. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $24.24 and a 200-day moving average of $26.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.79.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.33%. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VHI. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Valhi by 322.8% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,389 shares during the last quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P bought a new stake in Valhi in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $217,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Valhi during the 3rd quarter valued at $244,000. Greenwood Gearhart Inc. bought a new position in shares of Valhi during the 3rd quarter valued at $268,000. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Valhi by 36.0% in the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 16,642 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $389,000 after buying an additional 4,406 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 3.83% of the company’s stock.

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.