ACU vs. NL
ACU (Acme United Corporation) and NL (NL Industries, Inc.) are both stocks. ACU operates in Household & Personal Products (Consumer Defensive), while NL operates in Security & Protection Services (Industrials). Over the past 10 years, ACU returned 12.42%/yr vs 11.26%/yr for NL. Their 0.06 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.
Performance
ACU vs. NL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ACU achieves a 42.60% return, which is significantly higher than NL's 8.49% return. Over the past 10 years, ACU has outperformed NL with an annualized return of 12.42%, while NL has yielded a comparatively lower 11.26% annualized return.
ACU
- 1D
- 1.12%
- 1M
- 19.43%
- 6M
- 37.00%
- YTD
- 42.60%
- 1Y
- 43.81%
- 3Y*
- 24.58%
- 5Y*
- 7.94%
- 10Y*
- 12.42%
- ALL TIME*
- 5.33%
NL
- 1D
- -3.20%
- 1M
- -8.60%
- 6M
- -2.39%
- YTD
- 8.49%
- 1Y
- 11.77%
- 3Y*
- 8.06%
- 5Y*
- 6.68%
- 10Y*
- 11.26%
- ALL TIME*
- 10.55%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.06M | $1.17M | $1.01M | |
| $195.28K | $193.41K | $414.53K |
ACU vs. NL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ACU Acme United Corporation | 42.60% | 9.67% | -11.61% | 100.21% | -33.82% | 13.48% | 29.39% | 71.41% | -37.83% | -6.95% |
NL NL Industries, Inc. | 8.49% | -22.99% | 54.90% | -13.51% | -1.26% | 60.39% | 27.43% | 11.40% | -75.37% | 74.85% |
Correlation
The correlation between ACU and NL is 0.15, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.15 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.22 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.21 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.13 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 7, 1984 | 0.06 |
The correlation between ACU and NL shifts across timeframes, from 0.06 (all time) to 0.22 (3 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
ACU:
$216.66M
NL:
$280.47M
ACU:
$2.37
NL:
-$0.70
ACU:
1.11
NL:
1.77
ACU:
1.94K
NL:
0.78
ACU:
$211.60M
NL:
$158.58M
ACU:
$84.82M
NL:
$49.27M
ACU:
$21.43M
NL:
$3.36M
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Return for Risk
ACU vs. NL — Risk / Return Rank
ACU
NL
ACU vs. NL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Acme United Corporation (ACU) and NL Industries, Inc. (NL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| ACU | NL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.21 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.63 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.24 | 1.06 | +0.18 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.19 | 0.08 | +2.11 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.20 | 0.17 | +5.03 |
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Drawdowns
ACU vs. NL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ACU drawdown since its inception was -91.05%, roughly equal to the maximum NL drawdown of -89.08%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ACU and NL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ACU | NL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -91.05% | -89.08% | -1.97% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -20.05% | -33.22% | +13.17% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -32.71% | -38.90% | +6.19% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -46.23% | -52.49% | +6.26% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -52.47% | -84.70% | +32.23% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.08% | -50.01% | +44.93% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -38.81% | -43.82% | +5.01% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.42% | 15.25% | -6.83% |
Volatility
ACU vs. NL - Volatility Comparison
Acme United Corporation (ACU) has a higher volatility of 17.18% compared to NL Industries, Inc. (NL) at 11.88%. This indicates that ACU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ACU | NL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 17.18% | 11.88% | +5.30% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 24.96% | 43.37% | -18.41% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 34.90% | 55.20% | -20.30% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 41.05% | 48.58% | -7.53% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 42.57% | 63.45% | -20.88% |
Dividends
ACU vs. NL - Dividend Comparison
ACU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.13%, less than NL's 10.28% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ACU Acme United Corporation | 1.13% | 1.54% | 1.61% | 1.31% | 2.47% | 1.54% | 1.59% | 2.02% | 3.09% | 1.79% | 1.56% | 2.07% |
NL NL Industries, Inc. | 10.28% | 10.42% | 9.65% | 4.99% | 9.25% | 3.24% | 3.35% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Financials
ACU vs. NL - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Acme United Corporation and NL Industries, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
ACU vs. NL - Profitability Comparison
ACU - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Acme United Corporation reported a gross profit of 26.69M and revenue of 62.72M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 42.6%.
NL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, NL Industries, Inc. reported a gross profit of 13.25M and revenue of 40.57M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 32.7%.
ACU - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Acme United Corporation reported an operating income of 6.83M and revenue of 62.72M, resulting in an operating margin of 10.9%.
NL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, NL Industries, Inc. reported an operating income of 4.11M and revenue of 40.57M, resulting in an operating margin of 10.1%.
ACU - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Acme United Corporation reported a net income of 5.05M and revenue of 62.72M, resulting in a net margin of 8.1%.
NL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, NL Industries, Inc. reported a net income of 4.34M and revenue of 40.57M, resulting in a net margin of 10.7%.
Frequently Asked Questions
ACU and NL have a correlation of 0.15, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
ACU has higher volatility (17.18%) compared to NL (11.88%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ACU dropped -91.05% vs NL's -89.08%.
ACU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.26 vs 0.05), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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