Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Gap Down to $18.94

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $18.94, but opened at $17.89. Valhi shares last traded at $18.53, with a volume of 401 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Valhi in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock.

Valhi Trading Down 2.2 %

The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $524.18 million, a PE ratio of 947.00 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a current ratio of 3.45, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

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

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 11th were paid 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 (DPR) is 1,600.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Valhi stock. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its holdings in Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) by 28.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 20,879 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,620 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned 0.07% of Valhi worth $359,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. 3.83% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Valhi

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.