NL Industries (NYSE:NL) Share Price Crosses Below Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NL) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $5.90 and traded as low as $5.63. NL Industries shares last traded at $5.7910, with a volume of 46,902 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut NL Industries from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded NL Industries to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, NL Industries presently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

NL Industries Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $282.95 million, a P/E ratio of -7.52 and a beta of 0.24. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $6.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $5.90.

NL Industries (NYSE:NL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 9th. The basic materials company reported ($0.63) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.81). The firm had revenue of $37.70 million during the quarter. NL Industries had a negative net margin of 23.88% and a negative return on equity of 9.43%.

NL Industries Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 10th. This is a boost from NL Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.9%. NL Industries’s payout ratio is currently -51.95%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its position in shares of NL Industries by 80.4% during the fourth quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 5,985 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 2,667 shares during the period. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in shares of NL Industries in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its stake in NL Industries by 34.3% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 9,445 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 2,413 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in NL Industries during the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new position in shares of NL Industries in the third quarter valued at approximately $126,000. 10.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NL Industries Company Profile

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.