Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) shares gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $24.31, but opened at $23.53. Valhi shares last traded at $23.53, with a volume of 1,592 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VHI. StockNews.com cut Valhi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Barclays increased 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 has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.79. The stock has a market cap of $677.38 million, a PE ratio of 7.67 and a beta of 1.20. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $30.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.45.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VHI. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Valhi during the third quarter valued at $244,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in Valhi during the 3rd quarter worth about $408,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Valhi by 10.1% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 138,849 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,633,000 after purchasing an additional 12,720 shares during the last quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valhi in the third quarter valued at about $1,409,000. Finally, Martingale Asset Management L P purchased a new position in shares of Valhi in the third quarter worth about $217,000. 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.