Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) Short Interest Down 15.5% in February

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 54,269 shares, a decline of 15.5% from the February 12th total of 64,196 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 22,044 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days. Currently, 0.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Currently, 0.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 22,044 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on VHI. Wall Street Zen raised Valhi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Valhi in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Sell” and an average price target of $12.00.

Valhi Stock Performance

VHI traded down $0.45 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $13.36. 6,667 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,994. The stock has a market capitalization of $378.09 million, a P/E ratio of -6.61 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 2.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $14.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.13. Valhi has a 52-week low of $11.44 and a 52-week high of $20.00.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The basic materials company reported ($1.86) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($2.72). Valhi had a negative return on equity of 3.20% and a negative net margin of 2.77%.The firm had revenue of $494.50 million during the quarter.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -15.84%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Valhi in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position in Valhi by 46.1% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,722 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 859 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Valhi by 133.9% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,867 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 2,786 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valhi during the 4th quarter worth $80,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG boosted its stake in shares of Valhi by 145.0% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 7,006 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 4,146 shares during the last quarter. 3.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Valhi

Valhi, Inc is a diversified holding company incorporated in Delaware in 1987 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Through its three wholly owned subsidiaries—Kronos Worldwide, CompX International and NL Industries—Valhi participates in the manufacture and distribution of chemical and security products for industrial, commercial and consumer markets.

Kronos Worldwide is a leading independent producer of titanium dioxide pigment, a white powder that enhances brightness and opacity in paints, coatings, plastics, paper and other applications.