Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) shares gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $26.33, but opened at $23.29. Valhi shares last traded at $24.20, with a volume of 40,795 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Valhi Stock Down 8.4 %

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $32.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.32. The firm has a market cap of $682.88 million, a P/E ratio of 7.73 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.26%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Barclays PLC grew its position in Valhi by 322.8% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $104,000 after buying an additional 2,389 shares in the last quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P bought a new stake in shares of Valhi in the 3rd quarter worth $217,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Valhi in the third quarter valued at $244,000. Greenwood Gearhart Inc. acquired a new position in Valhi during the third quarter worth about $268,000. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC acquired a new position in Valhi during the third quarter worth about $408,000. 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.