Wall Street Zen Upgrades Valhi (NYSE:VHI) to Buy

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Valhi to “buy,” but Weiss Ratings only improved its rating from “sell (d)” to “sell (d+),” leaving Valhi with an overall average rating of “Sell” according to MarketBeat.
• Valhi reported quarterly EPS of $0.78, missing the $0.96 analyst consensus, while revenue of $606.1 million matched estimates. The company posted negative return on equity and net margin.
• Valhi shares opened at $16.38, with a 12-month range of $11.44 to $19.19 and a market capitalization of approximately $463.9 million; institutional investors own 3.83% of the stock.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Valhi from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Valhi presently has an average rating of "Sell".

Valhi Stock Performance

NYSE VHI opened at $16.38 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $463.88 million, a P/E ratio of -9.15 and a beta of 1.03. Valhi has a 12-month low of $11.44 and a 12-month high of $19.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $16.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.71.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.96 by ($0.18). Valhi had a negative return on equity of 2.77% and a negative net margin of 2.36%.The company had revenue of $606.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $606.10 million.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of VHI. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Valhi during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,055,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Valhi in the second quarter worth $148,000. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Valhi during the second quarter valued at about $2,776,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Valhi during the second quarter valued at about $687,000. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Valhi during the second quarter valued at about $321,000. 3.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Valhi

Valhi, Inc is a diversified holding company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Its principal businesses operate through subsidiaries in the chemicals, component products and real estate sectors. Valhi is affiliated with Contran Corporation, a holding company with long-standing ownership interests in Valhi and other industrial businesses.

Through Kronos Worldwide, Inc, Valhi participates in the manufacture and sale of titanium dioxide pigments, which are used to provide whiteness and opacity in paints, coatings, plastics, paper and other products.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.