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

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) shares 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Valhi Price Performance

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

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

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 11th were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.73%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 8th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 1,600.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Valhi stock. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) by 8.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 117,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,750 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC owned approximately 0.41% of Valhi worth $2,012,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. 3.83% of the stock is owned by 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.