The information provided on EL7.AI is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
The information provided on EL7.AI is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Basic materials includes mining, metals, chemicals, building materials, fertilizers, paper, and forest products. The sector is home to names like Linde, Sherwin-Williams, Nucor, and Freeport. It is inherently cyclical, driven by global commodity prices and industrial demand — especially from China and emerging markets — and the dollar cycle. On this page we rank the best US basic-materials stocks by the EL7 Score and compare them across value, growth, quality, safety, and capital-return factors.
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P/E 18.9 vs period average 19.2 Near its historical average
Rank | Company | Price | P/E | Value | Growth | Quality | EL7 Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/119 |  | $23.51 | 9.8 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 100 |
| 2/119 |  | $36.69 | 9.4 | 92 | 93 | 90 | 99 |
| 3/119 |  | $21.78 | 13.2 | 80 | 83 | 70 | 98 |
| 4/119 |  | $25.60 | 9.1 | 90 | 86 | 79 | 98 |
| 5/119 |  | $30.38 | 7.9 | 90 | 91 | 81 | 98 |
| 6/119 |  | $14.26 | 7.9 | 96 | 77 | 93 | 98 |
| 7/119 |  | $16.07 | 5.1 | 93 | 84 | 77 | 98 |
| 8/119 |  | $78.91 | 11.5 | 87 | 95 | 95 | 97 |
| 9/119 |  | $12.00 | 3.6 | 95 | 60 | 72 | 96 |
| 10/119 |  | $143.71 | 13.5 | 79 | 93 | 92 | 96 |
Score = market-cap-weighted percentile rank of the sector stocks vs the whole market (0-100). Higher = stronger.
Score = market-cap-weighted percentile rank of the sector stocks vs the whole market (0-100). Higher = stronger.
Upgrades and downgrades on the sector's stocks
Insider purchases in the sector's stocks
Funds that track the sector and each fund's exposure to it.
Fund | Exposure | Assets | Expense |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDXVanEck Gold Miners ETF | 100.0% | $23B | 0.51% |
| VAWVanguard Materials ETF | 88.0% | $5B | 0.09% |
| XLBState Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF | 84.9% | $9B | 0.08% |
The percentage is the sector's share of the fund's assets, per the latest available data.
The white line marks the average score (66.2) · the number beside the score is the stock count
The basic materials sector ranks fourth with a total score of 70.45 points, deriving its strength from high safety levels and strong positive sentiment despite modest capital returns. The sector trades at a median P/E ratio of 18.93, reflecting a balanced valuation alongside notable price momentum and good operational quality. Stocks such as KGC and MAKO lead the sector's most prominent companies in terms of performance and overall valuation, according to the platform's criteria.