NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NL) Shares Acquired by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NL) by 1.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,006,917 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,876 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 4.11% of NL Industries worth $15,594,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aristides Capital LLC lifted its holdings in NL Industries by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 426,626 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,315,000 after purchasing an additional 21,313 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in NL Industries during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,622,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in NL Industries by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 189,522 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,473,000 after acquiring an additional 3,924 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in NL Industries by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 162,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,263,000 after acquiring an additional 6,950 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealthstar Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of NL Industries during the 4th quarter worth $670,000. 10.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NL Industries Stock Performance

NL Industries stock opened at $8.36 on Friday. NL Industries, Inc. has a 1 year low of $5.20 and a 1 year high of $9.42. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $7.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.75. The company has a market cap of $408.13 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.96 and a beta of 0.36.

NL Industries (NYSE:NL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by ($0.19). NL Industries had a return on equity of 14.74% and a net margin of 38.69%. The firm had revenue of $40.30 million for the quarter.

NL Industries Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 11th were given a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.31%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. This is an increase from NL Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. NL Industries’s dividend payout ratio is 26.09%.

Insider Activity at NL Industries

In related news, Director Kevin B. Kramer purchased 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $6.59 per share, for a total transaction of $42,835.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 9,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,616.50. This trade represents a 228.07 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com lowered NL Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th.

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.