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

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $22.57, but opened at $23.15. Valhi shares last traded at $23.40, with a volume of 3,602 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Barclays boosted their price target on Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. StockNews.com cut Valhi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th.

Valhi Stock Up 3.6 %

The company has a current ratio of 2.79, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $27.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $25.79. The company has a market capitalization of $661.82 million, a P/E ratio of 7.50 and a beta of 1.20.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.37%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. Valhi’s payout ratio is 10.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp raised its stake in Valhi by 3.6% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 37,586 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,254,000 after acquiring an additional 1,307 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valhi by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 53,827 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,796,000 after purchasing an additional 1,794 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Valhi by 322.8% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,389 shares in the last quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P bought a new position in Valhi during the 3rd quarter valued at about $217,000. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new position in Valhi in the third quarter valued at about $244,000. 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.