NL Industries (NYSE:NL) and Symrise (OTCMKTS:SYIEY) Head to Head Analysis

NL Industries (NYSE:NL) and Symrise (OTCMKTS:SYIEY) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations and profitability.

Volatility and Risk

NL Industries has a beta of 0.28, suggesting that its stock price is 72% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Symrise has a beta of 0.71, suggesting that its stock price is 29% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

10.7% of NL Industries shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of NL Industries shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for NL Industries and Symrise, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
NL Industries	0	1	0	0	2.00
Symrise	0	1	2	1	3.00

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares NL Industries and Symrise”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
NL Industries	$145.90 million	1.91	$67.23 million	$0.20	28.50
Symrise	$5.41 billion	2.08	$517.49 million	N/A	N/A

Symrise has higher revenue and earnings than NL Industries.

Dividends

NL Industries pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.3%. Symrise pays an annual dividend of $0.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.9%. NL Industries pays out 180.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. NL Industries has increased its dividend for 2 consecutive years. NL Industries is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Profitability

This table compares NL Industries and Symrise’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
NL Industries	6.10%	2.36%	1.83%
Symrise	N/A	N/A	N/A

Summary

Symrise beats NL Industries on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

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. It also offers original equipment and aftermarket stainless steel exhaust headers, exhaust pipes, mufflers, and other exhaust components; gauges, such as GPS speedometers and tachometers; mechanical and electronic controls and throttles; wake enhancement devices, trim tabs, steering wheels, and other billet aluminum accessories; dash panels, LED indicators, wire harnesses, and other accessories; and grab handles, pin cleats, and other accessories; primarily for performance and ski/wakeboard and performance boats. In addition, the company produces and markets value-added titanium dioxide pigments, a base industrial product used in imparting whiteness, brightness, opacity, and durability to a diverse range of customer applications and end-use markets, including coatings, plastics, paper, inks, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial and consumer products. The company sells its component products directly to original equipment manufacturers, as well as through distributors. NL Industries, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is based in Dallas, Texas. NL Industries, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Valhi, Inc.

About Symrise

Symrise AG supplies fragrances, flavorings, cosmetic active ingredients and raw materials, and functional ingredients in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. It operates through two segments, Taste, Nutrition & Health; and Scent & Care. The Taste, Nutrition & Health segment provides functional ingredients and product solutions used in the production of food and beverages; savory flavors; natural and sustainable ingredients for food and beverage manufacturers, baby food, and dietary supplements; product solutions and services for pet food manufacturers; sustainable ingredients and services for fish feed manufacturers to develop solutions for fish and shrimp farms; and probiotics for food supplements and functional foods. The Scent & Care segment develops, produces, and sells fragrance ingredients and compositions, aroma molecules, cosmetic ingredients, and mint flavors, as well as specific application processes for such substances. This segment's products are used by manufacturers of perfumes, personal care and cosmetic products, cleaning products, detergents, air fresheners, and oral care products. Symrise AG was founded in 1874 and is headquartered in Holzminden, Germany.