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:
Tesco Corp. (TESO)
Tesco Corp. gained 4.45% to $21.97 in morning trading today. Volume reached 124,565 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 202,665 shares. Tesco Corp. has a 52-week high of $22.50 and a 52-week low of $15.45, its P/E ratio is 26.1, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $20.53 and $19.76 respectively.
Tesco Corp is engaged in designing, manufacturing and service delivery of technology based solutions for the upstream energy industry. Its products and service offerings consist of equipment sales and services to drilling contractors.
Green Plains Inc. (GPRE)
Green Plains Inc. gained 3.33% to $45.27 in morning trading today. Volume reached 694,559 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 1,226,733 shares. Green Plains Inc. has a 52-week high of $44.93 and a 52-week low of $13.78, its P/E ratio is 16, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $37.73 and $27.56 respectively.
Green Plains Inc is a producer, marketer and distributor of ethanol. The Company has four separate operating segments: Ethanol Production; Corn Oil Production; Agribusiness and Marketing and Distribution.
Harvest Natural Resources Inc. (HNR)
Harvest Natural Resources Inc. gained 3.14% to $4.93 in morning trading today. Volume reached 192,215 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 201,851 shares. Harvest Natural Resources Inc. has a 52-week high of $6.08 and a 52-week low of $2.76, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $4.74 and $4.42 respectively.
Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. is an energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, production and disposition of oil and natural gas properties.
Lehigh Gas Partners Lp (LGP)
Lehigh Gas Partners Lp gained 2.69% to $36.59 in morning trading today. Volume reached 15,829 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 107,889 shares. Lehigh Gas Partners Lp has a 52-week high of $38.65 and a 52-week low of $25.50, its P/E ratio is 24.4, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $28.74 and $26.81 respectively.
Lehigh Gas Partners LP is engaged in the wholesale distribution of motor fuels, consisting of gasoline and diesel fuel. It also owns and leases real estate used in the retail distribution of motor fuels.
Senomyx Inc. (SNMX)
Senomyx Inc. gained 2.67% to $8.08 in morning trading today. Volume reached 71,079 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 382,728 shares. Senomyx Inc. has a 52-week high of $12.74 and a 52-week low of $3.07, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $7.85 and $7.48 respectively.
Senomyx Inc discovers, develops and commercializes flavor ingredients for the packaged food, beverage and ingredient supply industries by including savory and cooling flavors and flavor modulators, such as sweet and salt modifiers and bitter blockers.
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.