NX
IndustrialsQuanex Building Products Corporation · Construction · $810M
What is Quanex Building Products Corporation?
Quanex Building Products Corporation supplies components to window, door, and cabinet manufacturers across North America, Europe, and beyond. Founded in 1927 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company serves original equipment manufacturers in the building products industry.
Quanex generates revenue by manufacturing and selling specialty components to OEMs in the fenestration and cabinet industries. Its three segments — North American Fenestration, European Fenestration, and North American Cabinet Components — cover products ranging from insulating glass spacers and vinyl profiles to cabinet doors. The company also produces non-fenestration items such as solar panel sealants, vinyl decking, and fencing, selling through direct sales teams, distributors, and independent agents.
Quanex has operated in the building products space since 1927, with its current corporate structure based in Houston, Texas.
- Flexible insulating glass spacers for window and door assemblies
- Extruded vinyl profiles and window and door screens
- Precision-formed metal and wood fenestration components
- Cabinet doors and components for kitchen and bathroom OEMs
- Non-fenestration products including solar sealants and vinyl decking
Is NX a Good Stock to Buy?
UQS Score rates NX as Below Average overall, reflecting meaningful challenges across several key dimensions of stock quality.
The most constructive aspects of Quanex's profile are its Risk and Valuation pillars, which are rated Good and Attractive respectively. This suggests the stock does not carry excessive financial or operational risk relative to peers, and the current price may offer a more reasonable entry point compared to sector norms.
However, both the Quality and Moat pillars are rated Weak, pointing to limited competitive differentiation and below-average business fundamentals — factors that weigh heavily on the composite score.
Pro members can view the complete pillar breakdown and underlying financial metrics behind the NX rating. Sign up free →
Past performance does not guarantee future results. UQS Score is based on fundamental data and is not a buy/sell recommendation.
Does NX pay dividends?
Yes — Quanex Building Products Corporation pays a dividend.
Quanex pays a regular dividend, which is relatively uncommon among smaller industrials companies. This reflects a degree of financial discipline and a commitment to returning capital to shareholders. Income-focused investors may find the dividend a meaningful feature, though the overall UQS profile suggests evaluating it alongside the company's weaker quality and moat characteristics.
When does NX report earnings?
Quanex Building Products reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, consistent with standard practice for US-listed equities.
The company's Growth pillar is rated Neutral, suggesting neither a strong acceleration nor a meaningful deterioration in recent business trends. Performance has been shaped by conditions in the residential construction and remodeling markets, which drive demand for fenestration and cabinet components.
For the most recent quarter's results and guidance, visit Quanex Building Products' investor relations page directly.
NX Price History
-17.5% over 5Y
Monthly close, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment.
NX Long-term Outlook
Quanex's fundamental outlook is shaped by a Neutral Growth profile and a Good Risk rating. The company is not positioned as a high-growth story, but its risk characteristics suggest a relatively stable operating base. The Attractive Valuation label indicates the market may already be pricing in the business's limitations, which could limit downside while also capping near-term upside. The Weak Moat rating remains a structural concern for long-term compounding.
Growth drivers
- Residential construction and remodeling activity driving fenestration component demand
- European segment exposure providing geographic diversification
- Cabinet components business offering exposure to kitchen and bath renovation trends
Key risks
- Weak competitive moat leaves the company vulnerable to pricing pressure from peers
- Cyclical exposure to housing markets can compress volumes during downturns
- Weak Quality pillar signals potential constraints on profitability and capital efficiency
NX vs Peers
Quanex competes within the broader building products components space alongside several other small- and mid-cap industrials companies.
Apogee focuses on architectural glass and framing systems, giving it a different end-market mix with greater exposure to commercial construction.
Janus specializes in building solutions for self-storage and commercial facilities, operating in a more niche and recurring-revenue-oriented segment.
Gibraltar serves residential, agtech, and infrastructure markets, offering a broader product portfolio that extends beyond fenestration components.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Quanex Building Products do?
Quanex manufactures specialty components for the fenestration and cabinet industries. Its products include insulating glass spacers, vinyl profiles, window screens, and cabinet doors, sold to OEMs in the building products sector across North America and Europe.
Does NX pay dividends?
Yes, Quanex Building Products pays a regular dividend. This is a notable feature for a small-cap industrials company and may appeal to income-oriented investors. The dividend should be evaluated alongside the company's overall UQS profile, which is rated Below Average.
When does NX report earnings?
Quanex reports earnings on a quarterly basis, in line with standard US-listed company practice. For the exact schedule and most recent results, check the investor relations section of the Quanex Building Products website.
Is NX a good stock to buy?
UQS Score rates NX as Below Average overall. While the Risk and Valuation pillars show relative strength, the Weak Quality and Moat ratings are meaningful concerns. The full pillar breakdown — available to Pro members — provides a more complete picture for your own research.
Is NX overvalued?
The UQS Valuation pillar for NX is rated Attractive, suggesting the stock may be reasonably priced relative to its fundamentals and sector peers. However, an attractive valuation does not offset the structural weaknesses identified in the Quality and Moat pillars.
How does NX compare to its competitors?
Quanex operates alongside building products peers such as Apogee Enterprises, Janus International, and Gibraltar Industries. Each competitor has a different end-market focus and business mix. UQS Score provides side-by-side pillar comparisons for Pro members looking to evaluate NX against these alternatives.
What is NX's market cap bracket?
Quanex Building Products is classified as a small-cap company. This places it in a segment of the market that can offer valuation opportunities but also carries higher volatility and liquidity risk compared to large- or mega-cap peers.
Who founded Quanex Building Products?
Quanex traces its origins to 1927, though the company's current form and focus on building products components evolved over subsequent decades. Detailed founding history is publicly available through the company's official corporate materials and investor relations resources.
Is NX a long-term quality investment?
As a long-term quality indicator, NX's Below Average UQS Score — driven by Weak Quality and Moat pillars — raises questions about durable competitive advantage and business consistency. The Good Risk and Attractive Valuation ratings provide some offset, but long-term compounding typically favors companies with stronger moat characteristics.
What is the main competitive advantage of Quanex?
Quanex's UQS Moat pillar is rated Weak, indicating limited identifiable competitive differentiation relative to sector peers. The company's scale across fenestration segments and its established OEM relationships provide some operational stability, but these do not appear to translate into a durable pricing or cost advantage.
What sector does NX belong to?
Quanex Building Products is classified in the Industrials sector, specifically within building products components. Its business is closely tied to residential construction and remodeling activity, making it sensitive to housing market cycles and broader macroeconomic conditions.
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Pro Analysis
NX — Score History
| Date | UQS | Quality | Moat | Growth | Risk | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2026 | 46.2 | 30.6 | 12.0 | 55.6 | 63.1 | 100.0 | 0.0 |
| Apr 2, 2026 | 46.2 | 30.6 | 12.0 | 55.5 | 63.1 | 100.0 | — |
NX — Pillar Breakdown
Quality
— 30.6/100 (25%)Quanex Building Products Corporation currently shows below-average quality metrics, suggesting challenges with profitability.
How effectively capital is deployed to generate returns.
Profitability relative to shareholders' equity.
Ability to convert revenue into operating profit.
Bottom-line profit as a share of revenue.
Asset productivity — how much gross profit each dollar of assets generates.
Free cash flow relative to market value.
Growth
— 55.6/100 (20%)Quanex Building Products Corporation demonstrates healthy growth trends across revenue and earnings.
Revenue trajectory over the last twelve months.
Compound annual revenue growth rate over 3 years.
Year-over-year earnings per share growth.
Analyst consensus for future revenue growth.
Analyst consensus for future earnings growth.
Risk
— 63.1/100 (15%)Quanex Building Products Corporation maintains a reasonable risk profile with manageable debt levels.
Debt levels relative to earnings capacity.
Total debt relative to shareholder equity.
Short-term liquidity — ability to pay near-term obligations.
Earnings capacity relative to interest payments.
Valuation
— 100.0/100 (15%)Quanex Building Products Corporation appears attractively valued relative to its earnings, cash flows, and sector peers.
Inverse of forward P/E — higher yield means cheaper stock.
How many years of FCF the market cap represents.
P/E relative to earnings growth — lower is more attractive.
Moat
— 12/100 (25%)Quanex Building Products Corporation operates in a highly competitive environment with limited sustainable advantages. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for NX.
Score Composition
Financial Data
More Stock Analysis
How is the NX UQS Score Calculated?
The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for Quanex Building Products Corporation is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.
Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.
Moat (25%) assesses Quanex Building Products Corporation's competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.
Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.
Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.
Valuation (15%) measures whether Quanex Building Products Corporation is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.
Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.