CIX vs. NL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about CompX International Inc. (CIX) and NL Industries, Inc. (NL).

Performance

CIX vs. NL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in CompX International Inc. (CIX) and NL Industries, Inc. (NL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CIX vs. NL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CIX CompX International Inc.	1.64%	-3.21%	14.73%	43.62%	-7.98%	64.41%	0.31%	9.21%	3.79%	-16.21%
NL NL Industries, Inc.	8.35%	-22.99%	54.90%	-13.51%	-1.26%	60.39%	27.43%	11.40%	-75.37%	74.85%

Fundamentals

EPS CIX : $1.57 NL : $0.20
PE Ratio CIX : 14.90 NL : 29.38
PEG Ratio CIX : 2.26 NL : 0.43
PS Ratio CIX : 1.81 NL : 1.79
Total Revenue (TTM) CIX : $159.00M NL : $159.00M
Gross Profit (TTM) CIX : $47.15M NL : $47.15M
EBITDA (TTM) CIX : $26.32M NL : $19.00M

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CIX achieves a 1.64% return, which is significantly lower than NL's 8.35% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with CIX having a 13.80% annualized return and NL not far behind at 13.35%.

CIX

• 1D: -0.34%
• 1M: 0.65%
• YTD: 1.64%
• 6M: 2.44%
• 1Y: 22.50%
• 3Y*: 17.83%
• 5Y*: 13.21%
• 10Y*: 13.80%

NL

• 1D: 0.34%
• 1M: -4.10%
• YTD: 8.35%
• 6M: -1.98%
• 1Y: -18.98%
• 3Y*: 7.56%
• 5Y*: 2.93%
• 10Y*: 13.35%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

CIX vs. NL — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CIX

CIX Risk / Return Rank: 56
CIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 57
CIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
CIX Omega Ratio Rank: 56
CIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
CIX Martin Ratio Rank: 52

NL

NL Risk / Return Rank: 26
NL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
NL Sortino Ratio Rank: 23
NL Omega Ratio Rank: 24
NL Calmar Ratio Rank: 28
NL Martin Ratio Rank: 31

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CIX vs. NL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for CompX International Inc. (CIX) 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.

	CIX	NL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.43	-0.40	+0.83
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.12	-0.29	+1.41
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	0.97	+0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.55	-0.44	+0.99
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.96	-0.64	+1.60
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CIX vs. NL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CIX Sharpe Ratio is 0.43, which is higher than the NL Sharpe Ratio of -0.40. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CIX and NL, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CIX	NL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.43	-0.40	+0.83
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23	0.06	+0.17
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25	0.21	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.08	0.06	+0.01

Correlation

The correlation between CIX and NL is 0.19, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

CIX vs. NL - Dividend Comparison

CIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.42%, less than NL's 9.95% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CIX CompX International Inc.	9.42%	9.45%	12.24%	3.96%	14.88%	3.56%	2.81%	1.92%	1.47%	1.50%	1.24%	1.75%
NL NL Industries, Inc.	9.95%	10.42%	9.65%	4.99%	9.25%	3.24%	3.35%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

CIX vs. NL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CIX drawdown since its inception was -79.14%, smaller than the maximum NL drawdown of -89.08%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CIX and NL.

Drawdown Indicators

	CIX	NL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-79.14%	-89.08%	+9.94%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-32.31%	-38.90%	+6.59%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-43.85%	-52.49%	+8.64%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.85%	-84.70%	+40.85%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-25.46%	-50.07%	+24.61%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-32.06%	-43.80%	+11.74%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	18.34%	27.01%	-8.67%

Volatility

CIX vs. NL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for CompX International Inc. (CIX) is 8.36%, while NL Industries, Inc. (NL) has a volatility of 11.34%. This indicates that CIX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CIX	NL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.36%	11.34%	-2.98%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	25.31%	32.39%	-7.08%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	52.46%	48.09%	+4.37%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	58.11%	47.59%	+10.52%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	54.49%	63.50%	-9.01%

Financials

CIX vs. NL - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between CompX International Inc. and NL Industries, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

CIX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, CompX International Inc. reported a gross profit of 11.03M and revenue of 39.95M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 27.6%.

NL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, NL Industries, Inc. reported a gross profit of 11.03M and revenue of 39.95M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 27.6%.

CIX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, CompX International Inc. reported an operating income of 4.76M and revenue of 39.95M, resulting in an operating margin of 11.9%.

NL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, NL Industries, Inc. reported an operating income of 1.85M and revenue of 39.95M, resulting in an operating margin of 4.6%.

CIX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, CompX International Inc. reported a net income of 4.22M and revenue of 39.95M, resulting in a net margin of 10.6%.

NL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, NL Industries, Inc. reported a net income of -7.87M and revenue of 39.95M, resulting in a net margin of -19.7%.