Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Up 6% – Here’s Why

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) traded up 6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $24.55 and last traded at $24.27. 13,961 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 9% from the average session volume of 15,415 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.90.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VHI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Valhi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th.

Valhi Stock Up 5.6 %

The firm has a market cap of $684.03 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.75 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $24.58 and its 200 day moving average is $26.06.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th were paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.32%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.26%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Valhi by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 37,586 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,254,000 after purchasing an additional 1,307 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Valhi by 3.4% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 53,827 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,796,000 after buying an additional 1,794 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its position in Valhi by 322.8% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 2,389 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valhi by 36.0% in the fourth quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 16,642 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $389,000 after buying an additional 4,406 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Martingale Asset Management L P acquired a new stake in shares of Valhi during the 3rd quarter valued at $217,000. 3.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.