NL Industries (NYSE:NL) Stock Passes Below 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NL) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $7.49 and traded as low as $6.78. NL Industries shares last traded at $6.93, with a volume of 11,889 shares changing hands.

NL Industries Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $338.27 million, a PE ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 0.52. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $7.44 and its 200 day simple moving average is $7.49.

NL Industries (NYSE:NL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.13. NL Industries had a net margin of 38.69% and a return on equity of 14.74%. The business had revenue of $38.40 million for the quarter.

NL Industries Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th will be issued a $0.09 dividend. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.20%. This is an increase from NL Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 11th. NL Industries’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NL Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of NL Industries in the third quarter worth about $39,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of NL Industries by 42.9% in the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 9,556 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $74,000 after buying an additional 2,871 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of NL Industries by 311.4% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,934 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $89,000 after buying an additional 9,033 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its stake in NL Industries by 17.6% in the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 14,816 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 2,217 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new stake in NL Industries in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $159,000. 10.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About NL Industries

NL Industries, Inc, through its subsidiary, CompX International Inc, operates in the component products industry in Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells mechanical and electronic cabinet locks and other locking mechanisms, including disc tumbler locks; pin tumbler locking mechanisms under KeSet, System 64, TuBar, and Turbine brands; and electronic locks under CompX eLock and StealthLock brands for use in various applications, such as mailboxes, ignition systems, file cabinets, desk drawers, tool storage cabinets, high security medical cabinetry, integrated inventory and access control secured narcotics boxes, electronic circuit panels, storage compartments, gas station security, vending and cash containment machines.