Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Hits New 52-Week High - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Valhi shares reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $17.65 and last changing hands around $17.98, up 6.5% from the prior close.
• Despite the stock’s rise, analyst sentiment remains negative: Weiss Ratings modestly upgraded Valhi from “sell (d)” to “sell (d+),” while MarketBeat reports an average rating of “Sell.”
• Valhi reported quarterly EPS of $0.78, missing the $0.96 consensus estimate, but matched revenue expectations at $606.1 million; it also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, yielding about 1.8% annually.

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $17.65 and last traded at $17.9790, with a volume of 15405 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.79.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings upgraded 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 Up 6.5%

The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $14.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.29. 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 company has a market capitalization of $506.38 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.99 and a beta of 0.97.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.78 earnings per share (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 business had revenue of $606.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $606.10 million.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Valhi's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -17.88%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Valhi during the second quarter valued at $31,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in shares of Valhi by 46.1% in the 4th 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. lifted its position in Valhi by 133.9% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,867 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $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 valued at about $80,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG boosted its stake in Valhi by 145.0% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 7,006 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 4,146 shares during the period. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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