Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Share Price Crosses Below Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s stock price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $16.69 and traded as low as $16.08. Valhi shares last traded at $16.29, with a volume of 13,597 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on VHI. Barclays reduced their target price on Valhi from $20.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Wall Street Zen raised Valhi from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valhi presently has an average rating of “Sell” and an average price target of $12.00.

Valhi Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 2.83 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $460.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 1.19.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by ($0.73). Valhi had a return on equity of 7.02% and a net margin of 4.69%.The company had revenue of $540.40 million during the quarter.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 5th will be given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 5th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.33%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valhi during the first quarter valued at $1,011,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Valhi during the first quarter valued at $289,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valhi by 52.9% during the fourth quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 50,414 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,179,000 after purchasing an additional 17,439 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valhi during the fourth quarter valued at $315,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC bought a new position in Valhi during the fourth quarter valued at about $203,000. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.