Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Shares Pass Above 50 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)’s share price crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $13.76 and traded as high as $14.70. Valhi shares last traded at $13.9020, with a volume of 10,534 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Valhi to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Valhi in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Sell” and a consensus price target of $12.00.

Valhi Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $13.76 and a 200 day moving average of $14.41. The company has a current ratio of 3.64, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a market cap of $393.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.72 and a beta of 1.20.

Institutional Trading of Valhi

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Valhi during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its position in Valhi by 46.1% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,722 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Valhi by 133.9% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,867 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 2,786 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Valhi during the 4th quarter worth about $80,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG raised its stake in shares of Valhi by 145.0% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 7,006 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 4,146 shares during the period. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valhi Company Profile

Valhi, Inc is a diversified holding company incorporated in Delaware in 1987 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Through its three wholly owned subsidiaries—Kronos Worldwide, CompX International and NL Industries—Valhi participates in the manufacture and distribution of chemical and security products for industrial, commercial and consumer markets.

Kronos Worldwide is a leading independent producer of titanium dioxide pigment, a white powder that enhances brightness and opacity in paints, coatings, plastics, paper and other applications.