Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Earns Buy Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Valhi (NYSE:VHI) in a research report released on Tuesday morning. The brokerage issued a buy rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

Valhi Price Performance

NYSE VHI opened at $18.48 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 3.45 and a quick ratio of 2.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $522.80 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 924.00 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.44. Valhi has a 52-week low of $10.80 and a 52-week high of $18.64.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $453.00 million during the quarter. Valhi had a net margin of 0.03% and a return on equity of 0.05%.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 11th were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 8th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.73%. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is currently 1,600.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Valhi stock. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. grew its stake in Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) by 28.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 20,879 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 4,620 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of Valhi worth $359,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.