Reviewing CompX International (CIX) and Its Peers

Insider and Institutional Ownership

7.5% of CompX International shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 39.6% of shares of all “Commercial Services & Supplies” companies are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of CompX International shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 16.7% of shares of all “Commercial Services & Supplies” companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares CompX International and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Net Income	Price/Earnings Ratio
CompX International	$161.83 million	$22.59 million	16.69
CompX International Competitors	$2.43 billion	$140.15 million	24.14

CompX International’s peers have higher revenue and earnings than CompX International. CompX International is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Risk and Volatility

CompX International has a beta of 0.91, indicating that its stock price is 9% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CompX International’s peers have a beta of 2.45, indicating that their average stock price is 145% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares CompX International and its peers’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
CompX International	12.48%	11.51%	10.52%
CompX International Competitors	-61.35%	-123.59%	-1.37%

Dividends

CompX International pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.0%. CompX International pays out 67.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, “Commercial Services & Supplies” companies pay a dividend yield of 2.5% and pay out 64.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. CompX International has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years.

Summary

CompX International peers beat CompX International on 7 of the 11 factors compared.

About CompX International

CompX International Inc. manufactures and sells security products and recreational marine components primarily in North America. It operates in two segments, Security Products and Marine Components. The Security Products segment manufactures mechanical and electrical cabinet locks, and other locking mechanisms used in various applications, including ignition systems, mailboxes, file cabinets, desk drawers, tool storage cabinets, high security medical cabinetry, integrated inventory and access control secured narcotics boxes, electrical circuit panels, storage compartments, gas station security, and vending and cash containment machines. This segment serves recreational transportation, postal, office and institutional furniture, cabinetry, tool storage, healthcare, and other industries. The Marine Components segment manufactures and distributes 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 systems, trim tabs, steering wheels, and billet aluminum accessories; dash panels, LED indicators, and wire harnesses; and grab handles, pin cleats, and related hardware and accessories primarily for ski/wakeboard and performance boats, as well as for the recreational marine and other industries. The company sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers, as well as through distributors. The company was incorporated in 1993 and is based in Dallas, Texas. CompX International Inc. operates as a subsidiary of NL Industries, Inc.