StockNews.com Upgrades Valhi (NYSE:VHI) to “Strong-Buy”

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Valhi (NYSE:VHI) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning.

Valhi Stock Up 6.8 %

Shares of NYSE:VHI opened at $23.34 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $660.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,167.00 and a beta of 1.27. Valhi has a 12-month low of $10.80 and a 12-month high of $23.72. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $18.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $16.55. 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 (NYSE:VHI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $559.70 million for the quarter. Valhi had a net margin of 1.27% and a return on equity of 2.02%.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.37%. Valhi’s payout ratio is presently 1,600.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Valhi stock. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) by 28.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,879 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,620 shares during the quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned 0.07% of Valhi worth $359,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Institutional investors 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.