Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Sees Large Volume Increase – Time to Buy?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Monday . Approximately 13,452 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 20% from the previous session’s volume of 16,893 shares.The stock last traded at $24.34 and had previously closed at $24.51.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on VHI shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Valhi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th.

Valhi Stock Down 1.2 %

The stock has a market cap of $690.52 million, a PE ratio of 7.82 and a beta of 1.20. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $31.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.43. 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 Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.31%. Valhi’s payout ratio is 10.26%.

Institutional Trading of Valhi

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VHI. Barclays PLC boosted its position in Valhi by 322.8% during the third 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 purchased a new position in shares of Valhi during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $217,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Valhi in the 3rd quarter valued at $244,000. Greenwood Gearhart Inc. acquired a new position in Valhi during the third quarter worth $268,000. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new position in Valhi during the third quarter valued at $408,000. 3.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.