Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Cross Below 200 Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) shares crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $14.55 and traded as low as $13.95. Valhi shares last traded at $14.6490, with a volume of 26,442 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on VHI. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Valhi in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Valhi to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Valhi presently has a consensus rating of “Sell” and an average target price of $12.00.

Valhi Trading Up 2.9%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $13.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.55. The stock has a market cap of $414.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.89 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 3.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The basic materials company reported ($0.33) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.83 by ($1.16). Valhi had a return on equity of 2.22% and a net margin of 0.89%.The firm had revenue of $503.50 million for the quarter.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 21st were paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Valhi in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valhi by 3.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 56,110 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $907,000 after purchasing an additional 1,933 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Valhi by 1.9% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 144,202 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,343,000 after purchasing an additional 2,753 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Valhi by 133.9% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,867 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 2,786 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of Valhi by 79.9% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,520 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 3,341 shares during the last quarter. 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.