Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 67,454 shares, an increase of 24.3% from the February 26th total of 54,269 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 21,605 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.1 days. Approximately 0.2% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Valhi Stock Performance

Valhi stock traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $14.20. 364 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 23,569. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $14.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 2.80 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $401.86 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.03 and a beta of 1.19. Valhi has a 1 year low of $11.44 and a 1 year high of $20.00.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The basic materials company reported ($1.86) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($2.72). Valhi had a negative return on equity of 3.20% and a negative net margin of 2.77%.The firm had revenue of $494.50 million for the quarter.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Valhi’s dividend payout ratio is presently -15.84%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VHI. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Valhi during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in shares of Valhi by 46.1% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,722 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 859 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Valhi by 133.9% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,867 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 2,786 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valhi during the fourth quarter worth about $80,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in Valhi by 145.0% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 7,006 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 4,146 shares during the period. 3.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VHI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Valhi in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Valhi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Valhi currently has an average rating of “Sell” and an average price target of $12.00.

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.