Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $2.72 EPS

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) announced its earnings results on Tuesday. The basic materials company reported ($1.86) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.86 by ($2.72), FiscalAI reports. Valhi had a negative return on equity of 3.17% and a negative net margin of 2.77%.The business had revenue of $494.50 million for the quarter.

Valhi Trading Down 3.7%

Shares of VHI opened at $13.50 on Thursday. Valhi has a 52-week low of $11.44 and a 52-week high of $20.00. The stock has a market cap of $381.99 million, a PE ratio of -6.68 and a beta of 1.19. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $14.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.20. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 3.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Valhi Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Valhi’s payout ratio is -15.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VHI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Valhi in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valhi to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Sell” and an average price target of $12.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Valhi during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake 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 worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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 in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valhi during the 4th quarter worth approximately $80,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG boosted its holdings in shares of Valhi by 145.0% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 7,006 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 4,146 shares during the last quarter. 3.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Valhi

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.