Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) saw strong trading volume on Friday . 28,950 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 64% from the previous session’s volume of 17,628 shares.The stock last traded at $23.31 and had previously closed at $22.50.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on VHI shares. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Valhi from $11.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Valhi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th.

Valhi Trading Down 1.8 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $28.71 and a 200 day moving average of $25.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $625.32 million, a PE ratio of 7.08 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.79.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.45%. Valhi’s payout ratio is currently 10.26%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

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