Barclays Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Stock Price

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) had its price target lowered by Barclays from $20.00 to $12.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an underweight rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

Separately, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valhi from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th.

Valhi Price Performance

Valhi stock opened at $14.67 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $414.95 million, a PE ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 1.33. Valhi has a 52-week low of $14.20 and a 52-week high of $41.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company’s 50 day moving average is $16.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.79.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $538.60 million for the quarter. Valhi had a return on equity of 6.90% and a net margin of 4.29%.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 9th will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 9th. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.80%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of Valhi by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 131,217 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,069,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares during the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Valhi by 105.9% in the 4th quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 27,402 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $641,000 after buying an additional 14,091 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Valhi by 42.9% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 20,386 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $477,000 after buying an additional 6,117 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Valhi by 52.9% in the 4th quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 50,414 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,179,000 after buying an additional 17,439 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Valhi by 16.3% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 43,121 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,009,000 after buying an additional 6,044 shares during the last quarter. 3.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.