Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Down 8.7% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) were down 8.7% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $28.73 and last traded at $28.73. Approximately 21,018 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 36% from the average daily volume of 15,436 shares. The stock had previously closed at $31.47.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VHI. Barclays increased their target price on Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. StockNews.com downgraded Valhi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday.

Valhi Price Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $32.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $24.06. The stock has a market cap of $817.02 million, a PE ratio of 9.34 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 3.49, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.11%. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.26%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valhi by 8.1% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 117,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,012,000 after purchasing an additional 8,750 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Valhi by 28.4% in the first quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 20,879 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $359,000 after buying an additional 4,620 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valhi in the third quarter worth about $408,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Valhi in the third quarter worth about $244,000. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC purchased a new stake in Valhi during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,409,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.83% of the company’s stock.

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.