NL Industries, Inc. (NL): ANSOFF MATRIX [Dec-2025 Updated]

You're staring at NL Industries, Inc. (NL)'s growth map and need to know which path delivers the best return, especially with core segments like TiO2 pigment and security products needing fresh momentum. Honestly, the strategy isn't just one thing; it's a calculated mix, from pushing existing sales for a 2% market share gain to earmarking $15 million for a new, sustainable pigment. We've laid out the four clear options-Market Penetration, Development, Development, and Diversification-so you can see the near-term actions versus the big swings. This is the actionable breakdown you need, defintely. See below for the precise steps for NL Industries, Inc. (NL).

NL Industries, Inc. (NL) - Ansoff Matrix: Market Penetration

You're looking at how NL Industries, Inc. can push harder in its current markets, which means squeezing more volume from existing $\text{TiO}_2$ customers and driving more sales from the current CompX customer base. This is about maximizing what you already have, and the numbers from the first half of 2025 show where the pressure points are.

For the six months ended June 30, 2025, NL Industries, Inc. reported net sales of $80,638 (in thousands) compared to $73,858 (in thousands) for the same period last year, showing overall top-line growth despite the headwinds in the chemical segment. However, net income attributable to NL stockholders for that same period plummeted to just $1,022 (in thousands) from $14,674 (in thousands) a year prior. This stark contrast highlights the need for aggressive market penetration strategies, especially in the Kronos business where pricing is tough.

Increase $\text{TiO}_2$ pigment sales volume by offering competitive pricing, targeting a 2% market share gain.

The North America $\text{TiO}_2$ Market size is expected to be 2.24 million tons in 2025, up from an estimated 2.16 million tons in 2024. To capture a 2% gain in this market, NL Industries, Inc. must aggressively counter the pricing pressure Kronos is facing; Kronos's average $\text{TiO}_2$ selling prices were 2% lower in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The operational challenges at Kronos, such as operating at only 81% capacity in Q2 2025, which led to approximately $20 million in unabsorbed fixed production costs, make cost leadership critical for competitive pricing.

Launch a focused digital campaign to drive sales of CompX security products in the existing US recreational vehicle (RV) market.

The CompX subsidiary is showing resilience in its existing markets. For Q2 2025, CompX net sales increased 12.3% year-over-year to $40.3 million, with segment profit rising 23.5% to $6.3 million. This growth was driven by both Security Products and Marine Components. The expectation for 2025 is that Security Products net sales will improve modestly over 2024. A digital campaign would target the existing customer base that contributed to the Q1 2025 net sales of $40.3 million.

Implement a customer loyalty program for large-volume Kronos $\text{TiO}_2$ buyers to secure long-term contracts.

Securing long-term contracts is vital given the volatility in Kronos's earnings contribution to NL Industries, Inc. NL recognized equity in losses of Kronos of $2.8 million in Q2 2025, a sharp reversal from equity in earnings of $6.0 million in Q2 2024. Stabilizing revenue through loyalty programs could help mitigate the impact of lower operating rates, which caused $20 million in unabsorbed fixed costs in Q2 2025.

Optimize production efficiency at existing Kronos facilities to lower unit costs and aggressively price out smaller competitors.

Kronos's income from operations fell to $7.4 million in Q2 2025 from $35.9 million in Q2 2024, largely due to unfavorable fixed cost absorption from reduced operating rates. Improving efficiency, such as raising the Q2 2025 utilization rate of 81% closer to the prior year's 99%, directly impacts unit costs. The global $\text{TiO}_2$ industry has about 25% excess production capacity, meaning lower-cost producers like NL's Kronos must gain share from competitors who cannot absorb fixed costs as effectively.

Cross-sell specialty chemical additives to existing $\text{TiO}_2$ customers to capture a larger share of wallet.

Kronos's core $\text{TiO}_2$ pigments represented approximately 90% of its net sales in 2024. Capturing a larger share of wallet means increasing the contribution from the remaining 10% of sales, which are complementary products. For the entire NL Industries, Inc., the TTM revenue as of 2025 is $0.15 Billion USD. Any growth in the non-$\text{TiO}_2$ specialty chemical additives segment would directly improve the overall gross margin, which was $25,053 (in thousands) for the first six months of 2025.

• CompX Q2 2025 Net Sales: $40.3 million.
• NL H1 2025 Net Income Attributable to Stockholders: $1,022 thousand.
• Kronos Q2 2025 Income from Operations: $7.4 million.
• NL Shares Outstanding (as of Aug 1, 2025): 48,862,734.

NL Industries, Inc. (NL) - Ansoff Matrix: Market Development

You're looking at how NL Industries, Inc. (NL) can push its current products into new geographic areas or new customer segments. This is Market Development, and the numbers from 2025 show where the existing businesses are already operating.

Expanding Kronos TiO2 in Southeast Asia and India

For the Kronos titanium dioxide (TiO2) business, a key focus area for new market development is Asia. Kronos Worldwide, Inc. reported net sales of $489.8 million in the first quarter of 2025, a 2% increase year-over-year. However, by the third quarter of 2025, net sales were $456.9 million, which was 6% lower than the third quarter of 2024, partly due to lower sales volumes in export markets. For the first nine months of 2025, Kronos's net sales totaled $1.4 billion. The company operated its production facilities at overall average capacities of 93% in Q1 2025 and 81% in Q2 2025. The trailing twelve month revenue for Kronos Worldwide as of September 30, 2025, stood at $1.86B. The Indian construction sector, a target for high-performance TiO2 grades, is a market where Kronos's Q1 2025 sales volumes were higher in North America and Europe, but lower in export markets.

The financial impact on NL Industries, Inc. (NL) from its Kronos investment in this segment shows volatility:

• Equity in earnings of Kronos for NL in Q1 2025 was $5.5 million.
• Equity in losses of Kronos for NL in Q2 2025 was $2.8 million.
• Equity in losses of Kronos for NL in Q3 2025 was $11.3 million.

Targeting European EV Casing with CompX Security Latching Mechanisms

The CompX security products segment, which includes latching mechanisms, has shown consistent top-line growth in 2025. Net sales for CompX in Q1 2025 were $40.3 million, and in Q2 2025, they were also $40.3 million. For the third quarter of 2025, net sales reached $40.0 million. The nine-month net sales for CompX ending September 30, 2025, were $120.6 million. Segment profit for CompX was $5.9 million in Q1 2025 and increased to $6.3 million in Q2 2025. The Q3 2025 operating income for CompX was $4.8 million. The growth in Security Products sales is primarily attributed to the government security market.

Leveraging Holding Company Structure for Cross-Segment Sales

NL Industries, Inc. (NL) can use its holding company structure to introduce CompX products to Kronos's existing customer base, which includes coatings and plastics manufacturers globally. The total TTM revenue for NL Industries as of November 2025 was $0.15 Billion USD. CompX's segment profit increased from $5.1 million in Q2 2024 to $6.3 million in Q2 2025. The Security Products segment's revenue in fiscal year 2023 was $121.18M. The company's ability to fund capital returns signals balance sheet capacity, with NL declaring a special dividend of $0.21/share and a Q3 2025 quarterly dividend of $0.09/share. CompX's annualized dividend is $1.20 per share, representing a dividend yield of 5.5%.

The following table summarizes key 2025 performance metrics for the operating segments relevant to Market Development:

Establishing South American Distribution for TiO2

Expanding distribution in South America for existing TiO2 products would target regional plastics manufacturers. Kronos's Q3 2025 net sales decreased partly due to lower sales volumes in its export markets. The company's Q2 2025 operating capacity utilization was 81%, suggesting room to increase production for new markets like South America. Kronos's unabsorbed fixed production costs in Q2 2025 were approximately $20 million due to reduced operating rates.

NL Industries, Inc. (NL) - Ansoff Matrix: Product Development

You're looking at how NL Industries, Inc. (NL) can grow by developing new products for its existing markets, which is the Product Development quadrant of the Ansoff Matrix. Given the recent financial performance, where the first nine months of 2025 resulted in a net loss attributable to stockholders of $6.8 million, compared to a net income of $50.7 million for the same period in 2024, strategic product investment is key to reversing this trend.

The proposed strategy involves several concrete product development initiatives, some of which directly address the challenges seen in the TiO2 segment, where Kronos recognized equity in losses for NL of $11.3 million in the third quarter of 2025 alone.

Here are the specific product development actions and the relevant financial context from the first nine months of 2025:

• Invest $15 million in R&D to develop a new, high-performance, sustainable TiO2 pigment with a lower carbon footprint for eco-conscious customers.
• Introduce a new line of smart, IoT-enabled security locks under the CompX brand for the commercial office market.
• Develop a proprietary surface treatment for existing TiO2 to improve its dispersion in water-based (aqueous) coating systems.
• Create a new, specialized chemical additive product line derived from existing Kronos manufacturing byproducts.
• Offer a premium, ultra-white TiO2 grade specifically for high-end automotive coatings.

The CompX subsidiary provides a strong base for this, as its net sales for the first nine months of 2025 reached $120.6 million, up from $107.5 million in the prior year period. Segment profit for CompX for the first nine months of 2025 was $17.0 million.

To frame the potential impact of these product developments, here is a look at the 2025 performance metrics for NL Industries, Inc. and its key segments through the third quarter:

The proposed $15 million R&D investment for a sustainable pigment is significant when considering the company's TTM revenue was $0.15 Billion USD (or $150 million) as of 2025. Furthermore, the current forward annual dividend payout is $0.57 per share, with a yield of 10.09%, which suggests the market values the income stream, making successful product development critical for capital appreciation. The company had 48,847,734 shares outstanding as of February 28, 2025.

The focus on the commercial office market for smart locks leverages the existing strength in CompX Security Products sales, which contributed to the Q3 2025 sales of $40.0 million. The development of additives from Kronos byproducts directly addresses the operational drag from unabsorbed fixed costs, which hit approximately $27 million in Q3 2025.

NL Industries, Inc. (NL) - Ansoff Matrix: Diversification

You're looking at how NL Industries, Inc. (NL) might expand outside its core chemical business, which is the Diversification quadrant of the Ansoff Matrix. This is the highest-risk, highest-potential-reward path, moving into areas where you have little to no experience with either the product or the market. While the strategy outlines entering materials science, environmental services, specialized fillers, and software, we can ground the discussion in the actual 2025 data related to the most recent, confirmed diversification: the expansion into security and protection services via CompX International Inc.

The acquisition of a majority stake in CompX International Inc. on September 24, 2025, for an aggregate of approximately $\mathbf{\$168.6}$ million, represents a tangible move into a different sector, aligning with the concept of entering a new market with a new product line under the CompX umbrella, which includes security systems and recreational marine components. This move is already showing results in the latest reported period.

Consider the performance of the acquired segment. CompX's net sales for the first nine months of 2025 reached $\mathbf{\$120.6}$ million, up from $\mathbf{\$107.5}$ million for the same period in 2024. That's a clear indication of growth in this new area of focus for NL Industries, Inc. (NL).

Here's a look at how the segments stacked up through the third quarter of 2025, showing the impact of the core business (heavily influenced by Kronos Worldwide, Inc.) versus the newer segment contribution:

The financial results for the third quarter of 2025 clearly show the volatility inherent in diversification, especially when it involves significant non-operational items or equity method investments. NL Industries, Inc. (NL) reported a net loss attributable to stockholders of $\mathbf{\$7.8}$ million for the third quarter of 2025. This contrasts sharply with the net income of $\mathbf{\$36.0}$ million reported in the third quarter of 2024.

The challenges in the core chemical business, specifically the equity in losses from Kronos Worldwide, Inc., were substantial in the third quarter of 2025, totaling $\mathbf{\$11.3}$ million in losses recognized by NL Industries, Inc. (NL). Still, the CompX segment showed operational strength.

Key operational highlights from the CompX segment in Q3 2025:

• CompX net sales were $\mathbf{\$40.0}$ million.
• CompX segment profit was $\mathbf{\$4.8}$ million.
• This compares to Q3 2024 net sales of $\mathbf{\$33.6}$ million.
• Q3 2024 segment profit was $\mathbf{\$3.3}$ million.

Looking at the top-line revenue trend for NL Industries, Inc. (NL) as a whole, the Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) revenue as of November 2025 stood at $\mathbf{\$0.15}$ Billion USD. This is a slight decrease from the $\mathbf{\$0.14}$ Billion USD revenue reported for the full year 2024, and a decrease from the $\mathbf{\$0.16}$ Billion USD revenue in 2023. The full-year 2024 net income attributable to common stockholders was $\mathbf{\$67.2}$ million.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, the company recognized an unrealized loss of $\mathbf{\$9.115}$ million related to marketable equity securities, compared to an unrealized gain of $\mathbf{\$21.775}$ million in the same period of 2024. This volatility in non-operating income/loss significantly impacts the bottom line, which was a net loss of $\mathbf{\$7.368}$ million for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.

If NL Industries, Inc. (NL) were to pursue the other diversification avenues-like establishing a joint venture for specialized, non-TiO2 functional fillers-the investment required would need to be weighed against the current capital structure, including the $\mathbf{\$200}$ million long-term note receivable from Kronos Worldwide, Inc., part of which was used in the CompX acquisition. Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.