NL Industries (NYSE:NL) Share Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• NL Industries shares crossed above their 200-day moving average, reaching $6.90 before closing at $6.7750, compared with a 200-day average of $6.15.
• Analysts maintain a neutral outlook: Weiss Ratings reiterated a “Hold” rating, and MarketBeat reports a consensus “Hold” rating from the sole analyst covering the stock.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.18, below the $0.21 estimate, while declaring a $0.10 quarterly dividend—equivalent to a 5.9% yield despite negative margins and return on equity.

NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NL - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $6.15 and traded as high as $6.90. NL Industries shares last traded at $6.7750, with a volume of 27,056 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of NL Industries in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, NL Industries currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

NL Industries Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $331.30 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -13.03 and a beta of 0.22. The company's fifty day moving average is $6.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.15.

NL Industries (NYSE:NL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.21 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $43.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $43.61 million. NL Industries had a negative net margin of 15.75% and a negative return on equity of 6.67%.

NL Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be issued a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 3rd. NL Industries's dividend payout ratio is presently -76.92%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NL Industries

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NL. Byrne Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of NL Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at about $143,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in NL Industries by 16.0% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 162,470 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $947,000 after acquiring an additional 22,456 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in NL Industries by 0.8% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,089,167 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $12,180,000 after acquiring an additional 15,950 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in NL Industries by 48.6% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 64,752 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $378,000 after acquiring an additional 21,184 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp purchased a new position in NL Industries during the first quarter valued at approximately $92,000. 10.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About NL Industries

NL Industries, Inc is a U.S.-based industrial minerals company whose primary focus is the mining, upgrading and marketing of titanium feedstocks. The company's products include synthetic rutile and chloride slag, which serve as key raw materials for producers of titanium dioxide pigment. These pigments are widely used as whitening and opacifying agents in coatings, plastics, paper and specialty applications.

NL Industries serves a global customer base, supplying feedstocks under long-term agreements and through spot transactions.

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