Comparing NL Industries (NYSE:NL) & Givaudan (OTCMKTS:GVDNY)

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

Profitability

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

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

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Givaudan and NL Industries”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Givaudan	$9.02 billion	N/A	$1.29 billion	N/A	N/A
NL Industries	$145.90 million	2.01	$67.23 million	$0.20	30.04

Givaudan has higher revenue and earnings than NL Industries.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

0.0% of Givaudan shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 10.7% of NL Industries shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of NL Industries shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

Givaudan pays an annual dividend of $0.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. NL Industries pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.0%. 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.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Givaudan and NL Industries, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Givaudan	1	1	2	1	2.60
NL Industries	0	1	0	0	2.00

Volatility & Risk

Givaudan has a beta of 0.78, indicating that its share price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, NL Industries has a beta of 0.24, indicating that its share price is 76% less volatile than the S&P 500.

About Givaudan

Givaudan SA manufactures, supplies, and sells fragrance, beauty, taste, and wellbeing products to the consumer goods industry. The company operates through divisions, Fragrance & Beauty, and Taste & Wellbeing. The Fragrance & Beauty division offers fine fragrances; consumer products, such as personal, home, fabric, and oral care; fragrance ingredients; and active beauty products. The Taste & Wellbeing division provides beverages, such as fizzy drinks, bottled waters, ready-to-drink juices, alcoholic beverages, and others; dairy and cheese products, including dairy drinks, yoghurt, ice cream, chilled desserts, cream cheese, and spreads; snacks; givaudan flavour ingredients; savory, and supplements and nutraceutical products; and biscuits, crackers, and cereals, as well as confectionery products, such as chewing gums, chocolates, and sweets. It operates in Switzerland, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. Givaudan SA was founded in 1796 and is headquartered in Vernier, Switzerland.

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.