Is NLI (NL) stock Halal?

NLI is a diversified holdings company primarily engaged in the manufacturing sector. As a key player, NL Industries operates within the chemicals and coatings industries, providing products that are vital to numerous manufacturing and industrial processes. One of its main focuses lies in the production of titanium dioxide pigment, an important white pigment used in various products such as coatings, plastics, and paper, enhancing durability and appearance. For Muslim investors, though, the most pressing question is simpler: is NLI a Halal investment?

Is NLI Shariah compliant?

No. In the October 2026 screening NLI (NL) does not pass AAOIFI screening: it fails the interest-bearing investments screen. For industrial companies like NLI, the product is rarely the problem; aircraft, vehicles and machinery are permissible. The exposure is leverage: fleets and factories are financed, and the 30% cap that AAOIFI Shariah Standard No. 21 places on interest bearing debt is the screen that decides most verdicts in this sector.

Does NLI pass the business activity test?

The activity screen is only part of the picture this month: NLI currently fails the interest-bearing investments screen, so the overall verdict is not compliant regardless of the business itself. The activity itself raises no Shariah objection; the scrutiny belongs to the financing.

Is NLI's income Halal?

Yes, within AAOIFI's tolerance. NLI's income from non-permissible sources stays below 5% of revenue in the October 2026 screening.

Does NLI meet AAOIFI's debt and investment ratio requirements?

Not in full. Interest bearing investments currently exceed the 30% cap, measured against a market capitalisation of $330M (market data as of 1 October 2026), while the other ratio stays within it. One breach is enough to fail the screening; the ratios are reassessed monthly under our Shariah Supervisory Board.

Why do other halal screeners show a different verdict for NLI?

Screeners can disagree without either being wrong. AAOIFI Shariah Standard No. 21, which Tabadulat applies, measures interest bearing debt and investments against market capitalisation with a 30% ceiling. MSCI and FTSE measure them against total assets with a 33% ceiling, and S&P and Dow Jones Islamic use a multi year average of market capitalisation. Data dates differ too, because each provider reads filings and prices on its own schedule. The same company can therefore pass one standard and fail another in the same month. Tabadulat publishes one answer, the AAOIFI result as of October 2026, and re-screens it every month.

Tabadulat is an ADGM regulated brokerage whose license covers Shari'a Compliant Regulated Activities, as the FSRA permission names them. New to the terminology? Gharar and Maysir, Sukuk, Zakat and purification are all explained in plain English.

New to the screening method? Read AAOIFI Standards Explained: What Makes a Stock Halal?