Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Stock Price Up 4.5%

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s stock price was up 4.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $19.18 and last traded at $19.08. Approximately 42,503 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 398% from the average daily volume of 8,539 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.25.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on Valhi in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company.

Valhi Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $573.16 million, a P/E ratio of 1,013.00 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $18.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.03. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 9th. The basic materials company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter. Valhi had a return on equity of 0.05% and a net margin of 0.03%. The firm had revenue of $530.60 million for the quarter.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 10th were issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 10th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.58%. Valhi’s payout ratio is 1,600.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Valhi stock. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) by 28.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,879 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,620 shares during the quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned about 0.07% of Valhi worth $359,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.83% of the company’s stock.

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.