Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $17.36, but opened at $18.03. Valhi shares last traded at $17.86, with a volume of 2,115 shares trading hands.

Valhi Stock Performance

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 firm has a market capitalization of $484.27 million, a P/E ratio of 5.49 and a beta of 1.19. The company’s 50 day moving average is $19.29 and its 200-day moving average is $25.37.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.20. Valhi had a net margin of 4.29% and a return on equity of 6.90%. The firm had revenue of $480.90 million for the quarter.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.87%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Valhi’s payout ratio is currently 8.47%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its holdings in shares of Valhi by 105.8% during the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 2,488 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 1,279 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new position in Valhi in the 4th quarter valued at about $315,000. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new position in Valhi during the 4th quarter valued at about $203,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its stake in Valhi by 52.9% during the 4th 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 last quarter. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Valhi by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 234,976 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,496,000 after purchasing an additional 2,600 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.