Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) Short Interest Update

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 shares are short sold. Currently, 0.2% of the company’s shares 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 equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valhi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Valhi in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valhi has a consensus rating of “Sell” and an average price target of $12.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Valhi in the second quarter worth $31,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its stake in Valhi by 46.1% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,722 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 2,786 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Valhi in the 4th quarter worth approximately $80,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG increased its position in Valhi by 145.0% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 7,006 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 4,146 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.83% of the company’s stock.

Valhi Stock Down 3.5%

NYSE:VHI traded down $0.48 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $13.18. 5,511 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,161. Valhi has a 1 year low of $11.44 and a 1 year high of $20.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $373.02 million, a P/E ratio of -6.56 and a beta of 1.19. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $14.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.09. The company has a current ratio of 2.80, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

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

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued 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 is currently -15.84%.

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.