Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Stock Crosses Below 200-Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI - Get Free Report) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $23.46 and traded as low as $15.55. Valhi shares last traded at $16.03, with a volume of 7,460 shares changing hands.

Valhi Stock Down 4.5 %

The company has a market capitalization of $463.33 million, a PE ratio of 5.25 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 1.65. The company has a 50-day moving average of $16.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $22.98.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $480.90 million for the quarter. Valhi had a return on equity of 6.90% and a net margin of 4.29%.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 17th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.95%. Valhi's dividend payout ratio is presently 8.47%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Valhi by 12.2% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 4,325 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $101,000 after acquiring an additional 469 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in Valhi by 8.7% during the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 8,845 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $207,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings in Valhi by 105.8% during the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 2,488 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 1,279 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Valhi by 3.6% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 37,586 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,254,000 after acquiring an additional 1,307 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Valhi by 6,670.8% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,625 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 1,601 shares during the period. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valhi Company Profile

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.