Valhi (NYSE:VHI) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised Valhi from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Sell”.

Valhi Stock Up 13.6%

VHI opened at $16.24 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $459.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 324.86 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.37 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The business has a 50-day moving average of $15.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.76. Valhi has a 12 month low of $11.44 and a 12 month high of $19.19.

Valhi (NYSE:VHI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The basic materials company reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $589.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $605.66 million. Valhi had a negative net margin of 2.36% and a negative return on equity of 2.77%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valhi

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VHI. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valhi in the second quarter worth $2,776,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valhi during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,055,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Valhi during the second quarter valued at approximately $687,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Valhi during the 2nd quarter valued at about $321,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Valhi in the second quarter valued at $148,000. Institutional investors own 3.83% of the company’s stock.

Valhi Company Profile

Valhi, Inc is a diversified holding company with interests in chemicals, component products and other industrial businesses. Its operations are conducted primarily through majority-owned subsidiaries, including Kronos Worldwide, Inc, a global producer and marketer of titanium dioxide pigments used to provide whiteness, brightness and opacity in products such as coatings, plastics, paper and inks.

Through CompX International Inc, Valhi also participates in the component-products industry.