NL Industries, Inc. (NL) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1996–2025) · Industrials · Security & Protection Services
EV/EBITDA
↓
13.57
↑+25% vs avg
5yr avg: 10.81
30Y Low3.1·High54.1
P/FCF
↓
N/A
—
5yr avg: 16.09
30Y Low4.9·High165.1
P/B Ratio
↓
0.78
-5% vs avg
5yr avg: 0.82
30Y Low0.6·High3.3
ROE
↓
-9.5%
↑-263% vs avg
5yr avg: 5.9%
30Y Low-15%·High240%
Debt/EBITDA
↑
0.04
↑+39% vs avg
5yr avg: 0.03
30Y Low0.0·High45.6
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
NL Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
NL Industries, Inc. currently has a negative P/E ratio, indicating the company is operating at a loss on a trailing-twelve-month basis.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $292M | $267M | $380M | $274M | $332M | $361M | $233M | $191M | $171M | $694M | $397M |
| Enterprise Value | $179M | $154M | $217M | $163M | $264M | $215M | $97M | $61M | $55M | $596M | $304M |
| P/E Ratio → | -7.77 | — | 5.63 | — | 9.87 | 7.05 | 15.93 | 7.38 | — | 5.99 | 26.29 |
| P/S Ratio | 1.85 | 1.69 | 2.60 | 1.70 | 2.00 | 2.56 | 2.04 | 1.53 | 1.45 | 6.20 | 3.64 |
| P/B Ratio | 0.78 | 0.71 | 0.91 | 0.70 | 0.83 | 0.94 | 0.70 | 0.58 | 0.56 | 1.97 | 2.04 |
| P/FCF | — | — | 15.72 | 7.64 | 14.31 | 26.72 | 13.49 | 7.85 | 12.25 | 43.85 | 16.20 |
| P/OCF | — | — | 14.84 | 7.40 | 12.34 | 20.51 | 12.26 | 6.95 | 10.02 | 37.24 | 14.33 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
NL EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
NL Industries, Inc.'s enterprise value stands at 13.6x EBITDA, 25% above its 5-year average of 10.8x. This is roughly in line with the Industrials sector median of 13.8x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 0.97 | 1.49 | 1.01 | 1.59 | 1.52 | 0.84 | 0.49 | 0.47 | 5.32 | 2.79 |
| EV / EBITDA | 13.57 | 11.68 | 3.51 | 9.00 | 14.91 | 14.98 | 15.62 | 29.56 | — | 128.68 | 109.68 |
| EV / EBIT | 18.77 | — | 2.59 | — | 6.57 | 3.46 | 6.47 | 2.09 | — | 138.94 | 21.86 |
| EV / FCF | — | — | 8.98 | 4.54 | 11.36 | 15.88 | 5.59 | 2.53 | 3.96 | 37.67 | 12.42 |
NL Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
NL Industries, Inc. earns an operating margin of 6.0%, roughly in line with the Industrials sector average. Operating margins have compressed from 8.8% to 6.0% over the past 3 years, signaling potential cost pressures or competitive headwinds. A negative ROE of -9.5% indicates the company is currently destroying shareholder equity. ROIC of 2.8% represents below-average returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 6.1%.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 30.4% | 30.4% | 28.3% | 30.5% | 29.3% | 30.4% | 28.7% | 31.4% | 32.4% | 31.1% | 32.3% |
| Operating Margin | 6.0% | 6.0% | 26.0% | 8.8% | 8.2% | 7.5% | 2.1% | -1.3% | -51.4% | 0.8% | -0.9% |
| Net Profit Margin | -23.9% | -23.9% | 46.1% | -1.4% | 20.3% | 36.4% | 12.8% | 20.8% | -34.7% | 103.7% | 14.0% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | -9.5% | -9.5% | 16.6% | -0.6% | 8.6% | 14.2% | 4.4% | 8.2% | -12.5% | 42.4% | 8.5% |
| ROA | -7.2% | -7.2% | 11.6% | -0.4% | 5.6% | 8.9% | 2.7% | 4.7% | -7.5% | 24.8% | 4.2% |
| ROIC | 2.8% | 2.8% | 10.6% | 3.4% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.9% | -0.6% | -20.6% | 0.4% | -0.9% |
| ROCE | 2.0% | 2.0% | 7.3% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.4% | -0.3% | -12.2% | 0.2% | -0.3% |
NL Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
NL Industries, Inc. carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 0.0x, which is very conservative (99% below the sector average of 3.2x). The company holds a net cash position — cash of $114M exceeds total debt of $500000, providing substantial financial flexibility for buybacks, acquisitions, or weathering downturns.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.08 | 0.24 | — | 0.11 | 0.18 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | -0.30 | -0.39 | -0.28 | -0.17 | -0.38 | -0.41 | -0.39 | -0.38 | -0.28 | -0.48 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -8.59 | -8.59 | -2.63 | -6.13 | -3.86 | -10.22 | -22.08 | -62.25 | — | -21.11 | -33.40 |
| Debt / FCF | — | — | -6.74 | -3.09 | -2.94 | -10.84 | -7.90 | -5.32 | -8.29 | -6.18 | -3.78 |
| Interest Coverage | -66.05 | -66.05 | 158.20 | -7.60 | 42.70 | 54.27 | 11.07 | 41.85 | -1468.57 | 143.07 | 3480.00 |
Net cash position: cash ($114M) exceeds total debt ($500000)
NL Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
NL Industries, Inc.'s current ratio of 7.77x is well above the 1.0 safety threshold, indicating strong short-term liquidity with ample room to cover current liabilities. The current ratio has improved from 7.17x to 7.77x over the past 3 years.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 7.77 | 7.77 | 2.61 | 7.17 | 6.05 | 6.33 | 6.22 | 5.52 | 2.05 | 6.67 | 4.02 |
| Quick Ratio | 7.77 | 7.77 | 2.30 | 6.16 | 5.08 | 5.49 | 5.56 | 4.91 | 1.84 | 5.89 | 3.53 |
| Cash Ratio | 5.53 | 5.53 | 1.79 | 5.41 | 4.34 | 4.80 | 4.98 | 4.35 | 1.43 | 5.02 | 3.03 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.34 | 0.25 | 0.28 | 0.27 | 0.24 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.20 | 0.28 |
| Inventory Turnover | — | — | 3.69 | 3.65 | 3.76 | 3.82 | 4.45 | 4.65 | 4.67 | 5.02 | 4.92 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 31.82 | 59.37 | 40.12 | 40.55 | 40.46 | 36.50 | 36.75 | 84.95 | 40.53 | 35.48 |
NL Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
NL Industries, Inc. returns 9.5% to shareholders annually primarily through dividends.
Dividends
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 9.5% | 10.4% | 9.7% | 5.0% | 9.3% | 3.2% | 3.3% | — | 14.0% | 3.0% | 5.3% |
| Payout Ratio | — | — | 54.5% | — | 90.9% | 22.9% | 53.2% | — | — | — | — |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | — | — | 17.8% | — | 10.1% | 14.2% | 6.3% | 13.6% | — | 16.7% | 3.8% |
| FCF Yield | — | — | 6.4% | 13.1% | 7.0% | 3.7% | 7.4% | 12.7% | 8.2% | 2.3% | 6.2% |
| Buyback Yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 9.5% | 10.4% | 9.7% | 5.0% | 9.8% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 0.0% | 14.0% | 3.0% | 5.3% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $49M | $49M | $49M | $49M | $49M | $49M | $49M | $49M | $49M | $49M |
Peer Comparison
Compare NL with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 NLYou | $292M | -7.8 | 13.6 | — | 30.4% | 6.0% | -9.5% | 2.8% | 0.0 |
 KALU | $3B | 27.3 | 13.1 | — | 9.5% | 5.7% | 15.1% | 7.8% | 3.6 |
 CODI | $777M | -3.4 | 14.3 | — | 38.5% | 2.3% | -41.5% | 1.0% | 10.4 |
 HBB | $274M | 10.5 | 6.3 | 24.8 | 25.7% | 6.0% | 15.2% | 14.0% | 1.0 |
 SXI | $4B | 69.1 | 27.9 | 94.2 | 38.0% | 15.4% | 8.2% | 9.7% | 3.8 |
 COMP | $6B | -97.8 | 74.4 | 29.3 | 10.6% | -0.4% | -9.8% | -2.5% | 5.4 |
 LIQT | $9M | -1.0 | — | — | 7.6% | -50.3% | -63.1% | -31.0% | — |
 TREX | $5B | 26.1 | 15.7 | 35.8 | 39.2% | 22.0% | 20.2% | 16.4% | 0.7 |
 ALLE | $11B | 17.6 | 13.3 | 16.4 | 45.2% | 21.1% | 36.1% | 18.1% | 2.3 |
 CLF | $7B | -4.0 | — | — | -4.6% | -7.5% | -22.4% | -7.5% | — |
 RS | $21B | 28.9 | 17.2 | 41.1 | 26.8% | 7.2% | 10.3% | 8.9% | 1.5 |
| Industrials Median | — | 25.5 | 13.8 | 20.0 | 32.0% | 4.3% | 8.2% | 6.1% | 3.2 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
Download Financial Ratios Data
Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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NL — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying NL stock.
What is NL Industries, Inc.'s P/E ratio?
NL Industries, Inc.'s current P/E ratio is -7.8x. The historical average is 10.9x.
What is NL Industries, Inc.'s EV/EBITDA?
NL Industries, Inc.'s current EV/EBITDA is 13.6x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 16.3x.
What is NL Industries, Inc.'s ROE?
NL Industries, Inc.'s return on equity (ROE) is -9.5%. The historical average is 23.6%.
Is NL stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, NL Industries, Inc. is trading at a P/E of -7.8x. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What is NL Industries, Inc.'s dividend yield?
NL Industries, Inc.'s current dividend yield is 9.53%.
What are NL Industries, Inc.'s profit margins?
NL Industries, Inc. has 30.4% gross margin and 6.0% operating margin.
How much debt does NL Industries, Inc. have?
NL Industries, Inc.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 0.0x, indicating low leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.