Empowered Funds LLC Takes $2.06 Million Position in Valhi, Inc. $VHI

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC acquired 140,076 Valhi shares during the second quarter, investing approximately $2.06 million and gaining a 0.49% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 3.83% of the company.
• Valhi reported quarterly EPS of $0.78, missing analysts’ $0.96 estimate, while revenue matched expectations at $606.1 million. The company posted a negative net margin and return on equity.
• Valhi declared a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, equivalent to a 1.8% annual yield. Despite the dividend, analyst sentiment remains negative, with the stock carrying a consensus “Sell” rating.

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 140,076 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $2,055,000. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.49% of Valhi as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Valhi in the second quarter valued at approximately $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 worth $33,000 after buying an additional 859 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Valhi by 133.9% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,867 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 2,786 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valhi in the fourth quarter worth $80,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 4,146 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.83% of the company's stock.

Valhi Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of Valhi stock opened at $18.08 on Friday. Valhi, Inc. has a 1-year low of $11.44 and a 1-year high of $19.19. The company has a market capitalization of $512.03 million, a PE ratio of -10.10 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.37 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The business has a 50-day moving average of $15.26 and a 200-day moving average of $14.46.

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

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. Valhi's payout ratio is presently -17.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Valhi Company Profile

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.

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