Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Stock Price Up 4.5%

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s share price rose 4.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $19.18 and last traded at $19.08. Approximately 42,503 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 398% from the average daily volume of 8,539 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.25.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Valhi in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock.

Valhi Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $532.95 million, a P/E ratio of 932.50 and a beta of 1.27. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $18.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $15.95. The company has a current ratio of 3.45, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 9th. The basic materials company reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter. Valhi had a net margin of 0.03% and a return on equity of 0.05%. The company had revenue of $530.60 million for the quarter.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 27th. Investors of record on Monday, June 10th were issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 10th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.70%. Valhi’s payout ratio is currently 1,600.00%.

Institutional Trading of Valhi

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Valhi stock. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) by 28.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 20,879 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,620 shares during the quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned 0.07% of Valhi worth $359,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. 3.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Valhi

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.