Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.18 EPS

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The basic materials company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.96 by ($0.18), FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $606.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $606.10 million. Valhi had a negative return on equity of 2.78% and a negative net margin of 2.36%.

Valhi Stock Down 3.1%

Shares of NYSE:VHI traded down $0.49 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $15.51. 33,820 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,526. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 3.25 and a quick ratio of 1.74. Valhi has a 12 month low of $11.44 and a 12 month high of $17.67. The company has a market cap of $438.93 million, a PE ratio of -8.66 and a beta of 0.97. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $14.04 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.13.

Valhi Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Valhi’s payout ratio is presently -12.60%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Valhi in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Valhi in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its holdings 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 valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of Valhi by 133.9% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,867 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 2,786 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valhi during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $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 buying an additional 4,146 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.83% of the company’s stock.

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.