Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Upgraded at StockNews.com

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday.

Valhi Trading Up 9.7 %

VHI stock traded up $1.85 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $20.85. 34,035 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,929. Valhi has a 52-week low of $10.80 and a 52-week high of $21.25. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $18.13 and its 200-day moving average is $16.42. The company has a market cap of $589.80 million, a P/E ratio of 1,042.50 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a current ratio of 3.49, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.41. Valhi had a net margin of 1.27% and a return on equity of 2.02%. The business had revenue of $559.70 million during the quarter.

Institutional Trading of Valhi

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