Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Sees Strong Trading Volume

Shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 38,593 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 220% from the previous session’s volume of 12,043 shares.The stock last traded at $27.46 and had previously closed at $28.55.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Valhi from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th.

Valhi Trading Down 1.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a current ratio of 3.49. The firm has a market cap of $796.36 million, a PE ratio of 1,345.50 and a beta of 1.27. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $19.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.32.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.70 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $559.70 million during the quarter.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1,600.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Valhi stock. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) by 28.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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 about 0.07% of Valhi worth $359,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.