Small-cap materials stocks offer a distinctive risk profile, one tied to some unpredictable market factors. That's why equities.com's Small-Cap Stars, our proprietary list of those small-cap materials companies offering a promising profile of fundamentals, gives you another method for finding those companies most likely to make the best of the market they're in.
Here's a look at the five top-performing basic materials Small-Cap Stars as of noon on the east coast:
Gevo Inc. (GEVO)
Gevo Inc. gained 5.67% to $0.62 in morning trading today. Volume reached 474,663 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 330,800 shares. Gevo Inc. has a 52-week high of $2.18 and a 52-week low of $0.55, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $0.87 and $1.24 respectively.
Gevo Inc is a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company focused on the development and commercialization of alternatives to petroleum-based products based on isobutanol produced from renewable feedstocks.
Westmoreland Coal Company (WLB)
Westmoreland Coal Company gained 2.89% to $43.16 in morning trading today. Volume reached 76,064 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 206,184 shares. Westmoreland Coal Company has a 52-week high of $42.97 and a 52-week low of $12.33, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $34.79 and $24.36 respectively.
Westmoreland Coal Co is an energy company. The Company's main activities are the production and sale of coal from its mines in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and Texas; and the ownership of power plants in North Carolina.
Rentech Nitrogen Partners (RNF)
Rentech Nitrogen Partners gained 1.26% to $16.97 in morning trading today. Volume reached 31,838 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 85,765 shares. Rentech Nitrogen Partners has a 52-week high of $32.99 and a 52-week low of $15.29, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $16.50 and $18.60 respectively.
Rentech Nitrogen Partners LP is a nitrogen fertilizer manufacturer. The Company produce primarily ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate solution, or UAN.
Willbros Group Inc. (WG)
Willbros Group Inc. gained 0.99% to $12.25 in morning trading today. Volume reached 161,459 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 326,950 shares. Willbros Group Inc. has a 52-week high of $13.69 and a 52-week low of $6.96, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $12.20 and $10.38 respectively.
Willbros Group Inc is a specialty energy infrastructure contractor serving the oil, gas, refinery, petrochemical and power industries. It operates through three business segments; Utility T&D, Oil & Gas, Canada and Professional Services.
Primeenergy Corporation (PNRG)
Primeenergy Corporation gained 0.93% to $65.00 in morning trading today. Volume reached 2,491 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 467 shares. Primeenergy Corporation has a 52-week high of $67.79 and a 52-week low of $37.65, its P/E ratio is 15.8, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $61.23 and $53.76 respectively.
PrimeEnergy Corp is engaged in the oil and gas business through the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas.
Equities.com's Small-Cap Stars - What a Solid Portfolio is Made Of
Small-cap materials stocks can be a tricky game to play, one where macroeconomic trends and fickle commodities prices can play a big role. The best plan of attack is usually to identify a successful, repeatable system for identifying strong companies and then just sticking to it. That's what the Small-Cap Stars does. By using a complex statistical regression to compare previously successful small-cap materials companies, the system can create a profile of fundamental metrics that should be predictive of future success and then grade current companies on how closely they resemble that model.
Among the metrics we found to have the strongest indication of future growth were a low ratio of enterprise value to sales, a low effective tax rate, and a high ROE-cost of equity.
All data provided by quotemedia and was accurate as of 12:00 pm ET.