Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Sets New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $37.75 and last traded at $37.40, with a volume of 7701 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $36.33.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VHI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Valhi from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th.

Valhi Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average is $29.99 and its 200 day moving average is $21.85. The firm has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,883.50 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a current ratio of 3.49.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.41. Valhi had a net margin of 1.27% and a return on equity of 2.02%. The business had revenue of $559.70 million during the quarter.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 6th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is currently 1,600.00%.

Institutional Trading of Valhi

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Valhi by 28.4% in the 1st quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 20,879 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 4,620 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new position in Valhi in the third quarter valued at $244,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Valhi by 8.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 117,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,012,000 after buying an additional 8,750 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.83% of the company’s stock.

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.