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

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on VHI. Wall Street Zen upgraded Valhi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Valhi in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valhi has an average rating of “Sell” and an average target price of $12.00.

Valhi Stock Up 1.0%

VHI traded up $0.15 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $14.22. 10,831 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 24,152. The stock has a market cap of $402.31 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.04 and a beta of 1.19. Valhi has a 1-year low of $11.44 and a 1-year high of $20.00. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $14.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 2.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

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

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Valhi’s payout ratio is currently -15.84%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VHI. Millennium Management LLC bought a new position in Valhi in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its stake in shares of Valhi by 46.1% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,722 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valhi during the 4th quarter worth approximately $183,000. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 4,146 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valhi in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $80,000. 3.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.