Materials in 2026 remain tied to manufacturing trends, construction demand, and commodity balances. Industrial stabilization can help the group quickly; weaker global growth pressures both volumes and pricing.
Sector AnalysisETF: XLBUpdated Jun 15, 2026
Basic Materials Sector Stocks
Basic Materials includes companies that extract, process, or manufacture inputs for the broader economy — chemicals, metals, mining, packaging, and construction materials. Demand depends on industrial production, construction, and commodity pricing, making the sector cyclical and globally sensitive. XLB is the standard benchmark. Screening helps distinguish high-quality operators from stocks whose earnings are just a short-term commodity function.
Research ByVCP Scanner Editorial Team
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| Ticker | Company | Price | Mkt Cap | P/E | ROE | Div Yield | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linde plc | $523.57 | $242.62B | 35.9 | 17.4% | 1.1% | ||
| BHP Group Limited | $90.82 | $230.6B | 25.5 | 17.8% | 2.8% | ||
| Rio Tinto Group | $105.35 | $210.29B | 14.9 | 20.2% | 4.1% | ||
| Southern Copper Corporation | $189.79 | $156.78B | 36.2 | 42.6% | 1.6% | ||
| Newmont Corporation | $100.23 | $111.05B | 15.6 | 22.1% | 1% | ||
| Freeport-McMoRan Inc. | $68.41 | $98.32B | 45.0 | 7.4% | 0.9% | ||
| Agnico Eagle Mines Limited | $162.64 | $81.48B | 18.4 | 19.6% | 0.9% | ||
| The Sherwin-Williams Company | $317.30 | $78.26B | 30.9 | 59.4% | 1% | ||
| POSCO Holdings Inc. | $63.32 | $76.61B | 189.9 | 1.1% | 0.7% | ||
| Ecolab Inc. | $265.41 | $74.96B | 36.5 | 22.3% | 1% | ||
| CRH plc | $106.48 | $71.15B | 19.3 | 15.7% | 1.2% | ||
| Vale S.A. | $15.71 | $68.56B | 27.1 | 7.2% | 5.3% | ||
| Barrick Mining Corporation | $40.20 | $67.35B | 13.7 | 14.4% | 1.3% | ||
| Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. | $281.62 | $62.7B | -159.1 | -2.2% | 2.5% | ||
| Nucor Corporation | $266.35 | $60.67B | 35.4 | 8% | 0.8% | ||
| ArcelorMittal S.A. | $70.81 | $53.9B | 17.2 | 5.8% | 0.8% | ||
| Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. | $116.10 | $52.72B | 35.3 | 18.8% | 0.6% | ||
| Corteva, Inc. | $76.14 | $51.12B | 47.6 | 4.5% | 0.9% | ||
| AngloGold Ashanti Plc | $86.30 | $43.58B | 16.6 | 28.6% | 4.3% | ||
| Steel Dynamics, Inc. | $282.76 | $40.97B | 35.4 | 13.3% | 0.7% | ||
| Franco-Nevada Corporation | $209.46 | $40.38B | 35.7 | 16.3% | 0.7% | ||
| Vulcan Materials Company | $286.47 | $37.17B | 35.3 | 13% | 0.7% | ||
| EIDP, Inc. | $53.53 | $36.17B | 33.5 | 4.6% | 100% | ||
| Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. | $577.33 | $34.82B | 30.7 | 11.7% | 0.6% | ||
| Gold Fields Limited | $36.50 | $32.67B | 26.4 | 24.9% | 1.1% | ||
| Nutrien Ltd. | $67.62 | $32.53B | 14.3 | 9.3% | 3.3% | ||
| Teck Resources Limited | $64.84 | $31.22B | 32.0 | 5.3% | 0.5% | ||
| Kinross Gold Corporation | $25.58 | $30.63B | 12.9 | 31% | 0.5% | ||
| Amrize Ltd | $53.17 | $29.39B | 24.8 | 8.9% | — | ||
| PPG Industries, Inc. | $119.34 | $26.71B | 17.2 | 92.2% | 2.3% |
LINLinde plc
$523.57Price
Mkt Cap$242.62B
P/E35.9
ROE17.4%
Div Yield1.1%
BHPBHP Group Limited
$90.82Price
Mkt Cap$230.6B
P/E25.5
ROE17.8%
Div Yield2.8%
RIORio Tinto Group
$105.35Price
Mkt Cap$210.29B
P/E14.9
ROE20.2%
Div Yield4.1%
SCCOSouthern Copper Corporation
$189.79Price
Mkt Cap$156.78B
P/E36.2
ROE42.6%
Div Yield1.6%
NEMNewmont Corporation
$100.23Price
Mkt Cap$111.05B
P/E15.6
ROE22.1%
Div Yield1%
FCXFreeport-McMoRan Inc.
$68.41Price
Mkt Cap$98.32B
P/E45.0
ROE7.4%
Div Yield0.9%
AEMAgnico Eagle Mines Limited
$162.64Price
Mkt Cap$81.48B
P/E18.4
ROE19.6%
Div Yield0.9%
SHWThe Sherwin-Williams Company
$317.30Price
Mkt Cap$78.26B
P/E30.9
ROE59.4%
Div Yield1%
PKXPOSCO Holdings Inc.
$63.32Price
Mkt Cap$76.61B
P/E189.9
ROE1.1%
Div Yield0.7%
ECLEcolab Inc.
$265.41Price
Mkt Cap$74.96B
P/E36.5
ROE22.3%
Div Yield1%
CRHCRH plc
$106.48Price
Mkt Cap$71.15B
P/E19.3
ROE15.7%
Div Yield1.2%
VALEVale S.A.
$15.71Price
Mkt Cap$68.56B
P/E27.1
ROE7.2%
Div Yield5.3%
BBarrick Mining Corporation
$40.20Price
Mkt Cap$67.35B
P/E13.7
ROE14.4%
Div Yield1.3%
APDAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
$281.62Price
Mkt Cap$62.7B
P/E-159.1
ROE-2.2%
Div Yield2.5%
NUENucor Corporation
$266.35Price
Mkt Cap$60.67B
P/E35.4
ROE8%
Div Yield0.8%
MTArcelorMittal S.A.
$70.81Price
Mkt Cap$53.9B
P/E17.2
ROE5.8%
Div Yield0.8%
WPMWheaton Precious Metals Corp.
$116.10Price
Mkt Cap$52.72B
P/E35.3
ROE18.8%
Div Yield0.6%
CTVACorteva, Inc.
$76.14Price
Mkt Cap$51.12B
P/E47.6
ROE4.5%
Div Yield0.9%
AUAngloGold Ashanti Plc
$86.30Price
Mkt Cap$43.58B
P/E16.6
ROE28.6%
Div Yield4.3%
STLDSteel Dynamics, Inc.
$282.76Price
Mkt Cap$40.97B
P/E35.4
ROE13.3%
Div Yield0.7%
FNVFranco-Nevada Corporation
$209.46Price
Mkt Cap$40.38B
P/E35.7
ROE16.3%
Div Yield0.7%
VMCVulcan Materials Company
$286.47Price
Mkt Cap$37.17B
P/E35.3
ROE13%
Div Yield0.7%
CTA-PAEIDP, Inc.
$53.53Price
Mkt Cap$36.17B
P/E33.5
ROE4.6%
Div Yield100%
MLMMartin Marietta Materials, Inc.
$577.33Price
Mkt Cap$34.82B
P/E30.7
ROE11.7%
Div Yield0.6%
GFIGold Fields Limited
$36.50Price
Mkt Cap$32.67B
P/E26.4
ROE24.9%
Div Yield1.1%
NTRNutrien Ltd.
$67.62Price
Mkt Cap$32.53B
P/E14.3
ROE9.3%
Div Yield3.3%
TECKTeck Resources Limited
$64.84Price
Mkt Cap$31.22B
P/E32.0
ROE5.3%
Div Yield0.5%
KGCKinross Gold Corporation
$25.58Price
Mkt Cap$30.63B
P/E12.9
ROE31%
Div Yield0.5%
AMRZAmrize Ltd
$53.17Price
Mkt Cap$29.39B
P/E24.8
ROE8.9%
Div Yield—
PPGPPG Industries, Inc.
$119.34Price
Mkt Cap$26.71B
P/E17.2
ROE92.2%
Div Yield2.3%
Market Comparison
Basic Materials Sector vs S&P 500 in one glance
This should answer the only question that matters here: are you getting something better than the market for the price you are paying?
Price vs market
Near market
Valuation is broadly in line with the market
Quality vs market
Lower quality
Net margin 14.9% vs 25.5%; ROE 16.7% vs 47.2%
Income vs market
Higher yield
Sector yield 1.44% vs 1.00%
Comparison table
Winner should register in under three seconds.
| Metric | Basic Materials Sector | S&P 500 | Delta | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trailing P/E Close to market | 34.8x | 34.1x | +2% | Near parity |
Forward P/E Sector is cheaper | 18.9x | 23.5x | -20% | Sector cheaper |
EV/EBITDA Sector is cheaper | 16.1x | 22.8x | -29% | Sector cheaper |
Net Margin Market is stronger | 14.9% | 25.5% | -42% | S&P 500 stronger |
ROE Market is stronger | 16.7% | 47.2% | -65% | S&P 500 stronger |
Dividend Yield Sector is stronger | 1.4% | 1.0% | +44% | Sector yields more |
History check
Is the current premium normal?
1-year contextRich vs history
96th percentile; range 24.9x to 35.3x
5-year contextRich vs history
98th percentile; range 13.0x to 35.3x
Internal health
Median revenue growth9.0%
Median gross margin37.7%
Median FCF margin11.5%
Against the S&P 500, Basic Materials Sector currently trades at 34.8x trailing earnings versus 34.1x for the broad market. That premium only makes sense if investors keep believing the sector deserves better margins, stronger returns on equity, and more durable growth than the index overall.
Industry Breakdown
Where the real weight sits inside Basic Materials Sector
These cards are built from the full sector universe, then ranked by market cap so you can see which pockets are leading, rich, resilient, or dangerously concentrated.
Industry Scoreboard
Fast scan of Basic Materials Sector industry setups
Use this table to spot heavyweights, cheap pockets, leaders, and genuinely beaten-down areas before opening the detailed cards below.
Specialty Chemicals 54 stocks | 23.8% $723.71B | Leading +12.3% median 3M | Premium 18.7x median Fwd P/E | Mixed 5.6% median ROE | Weak 2.1% rev growth | Expensive Leader Concentrated |
Gold 51 stocks | 20.0% $608.73B | Lagging -21.4% median 3M | Cheap 8.2x median Fwd P/E | High 12.1% median ROE | Strong 56.4% rev growth | Beaten Down Diversified |
Industrial Materials 42 stocks | 19.2% $584.56B | Lagging -10.3% median 3M | Fair 20.6x median Fwd P/E | Weak -16.6% median ROE | Weak 6.4% rev growth | Broken One-name heavy |
Steel 23 stocks | 9.9% $300.62B | Leading +28.7% median 3M | Fair 16.9x median Fwd P/E | Weak 1.9% median ROE | Weak -1.7% rev growth | Mixed Concentrated |
Copper 5 stocks | 8.9% $271.54B | Leading +7.6% median 3M | Fair 17.0x median Fwd P/E | High 19.2% median ROE | Strong 17.4% rev growth | Watchlist One-name heavy |
Construction Materials 19 stocks | 7.0% $212.65B | Neutral +2.2% median 3M | Fair 18.4x median Fwd P/E | Mixed 11.2% median ROE | Weak 7.3% rev growth | Mixed Concentrated |
Agricultural Inputs 18 stocks | 5.4% $164.52B | Lagging -21.4% median 3M | Cheap 13.7x median Fwd P/E | Mixed 3.5% median ROE | Strong 6.3% rev growth | Beaten Down Concentrated |
Chemicals 16 stocks | 1.5% $44.51B | Neutral -3.8% median 3M | Fair 9.7x median Fwd P/E | Weak -10.6% median ROE | Weak -4.7% rev growth | Mixed One-name heavy |
Precious Metals 19 stocks | 1.2% $36.18B | Lagging -20.3% median 3M | Premium 14.4x median Fwd P/E | High -0.8% median ROE | Strong 54.7% rev growth | Mixed Diversified |
Aluminum 4 stocks | 1.0% $31.8B | Leading +25.4% median 3M | Fair 9.7x median Fwd P/E | Mixed 28.7% median ROE | Strong 14.2% rev growth | Watchlist One-name heavy |
Silver 4 stocks | 1.0% $31.75B | Lagging -24.1% median 3M | Premium 19.9x median Fwd P/E | High 4.2% median ROE | Strong 46.2% rev growth | Mixed One-name heavy |
Paper & Forest Products 11 stocks | 0.9% $27.93B | Neutral -0.9% median 3M | Cheap 18.1x median Fwd P/E | Weak 0.7% median ROE | Weak -4.9% rev growth | Mixed Concentrated |
Showing 12 of 12 industries in Basic Materials Sector.
Setup is a quick read of value, quality, growth, momentum, and concentration together.
23.8% OF SECTOR
Specialty Chemicals
Premium vs sectorMixed qualityLeadingWeak growthConcentrated
Specialty Chemicals is a core pocket of basic materials, still leading on price action; growth is softer than the sector average, quality signals are mixed, and valuation still carries a premium. Leadership is concentrated in a few names.
Median 3M return
+12.3%
Forward P/E
18.7x
Top 3 weight
54.7%
Market cap
$723.71B
Coverage
54 stocks
Breadth
70% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
20.0% OF SECTOR
Gold
Cheap vs sectorHigh qualityLaggingStrong growthDiversified
Gold is a core pocket of basic materials, currently lagging on price action; growth is running above sector norms, business quality is stronger than the sector median, and valuation sits below sector norms.
Median 3M return
-21.4%
Forward P/E
8.2x
Top 3 weight
42.7%
Market cap
$608.73B
Coverage
51 stocks
Breadth
4% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
19.2% OF SECTOR
Industrial Materials
Fairly pricedWeak qualityLaggingWeak growthOne-name heavy
Industrial Materials is a major pocket of basic materials, currently lagging on price action; growth is softer than the sector average, quality metrics trail the sector median, and valuation is close to sector norms. Leadership is extremely concentrated in one or two names.
Median 3M return
-10.3%
Forward P/E
20.6x
Top 3 weight
87.2%
Market cap
$584.56B
Coverage
42 stocks
Breadth
36% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
9.9% OF SECTOR
Steel
Fairly pricedWeak qualityLeadingWeak growthConcentrated
Steel is a meaningful pocket of basic materials, still leading on price action; growth is softer than the sector average, quality metrics trail the sector median, and valuation is close to sector norms. Leadership is concentrated in a few names.
Median 3M return
+28.7%
Forward P/E
16.9x
Top 3 weight
63.6%
Market cap
$300.62B
Coverage
23 stocks
Breadth
82% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
8.9% OF SECTOR
Copper
Fairly pricedHigh qualityLeadingStrong growthOne-name heavy
Copper is a meaningful pocket of basic materials, still leading on price action; growth is running above sector norms, business quality is stronger than the sector median, and valuation is close to sector norms. Leadership is extremely concentrated in one or two names.
Median 3M return
+7.6%
Forward P/E
17.0x
Top 3 weight
98.0%
Market cap
$271.54B
Coverage
5 stocks
Breadth
100% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
7.0% OF SECTOR
Construction Materials
Fairly pricedMixed qualityNeutralWeak growthConcentrated
Construction Materials is a meaningful pocket of basic materials, moving broadly in line with the rest of the sector; growth is softer than the sector average, quality signals are mixed, and valuation is close to sector norms. Leadership is concentrated in a few names.
Median 3M return
+2.2%
Forward P/E
18.4x
Top 3 weight
67.3%
Market cap
$212.65B
Coverage
19 stocks
Breadth
53% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
5.4% OF SECTOR
Agricultural Inputs
Cheap vs sectorMixed qualityLaggingStrong growthConcentrated
Agricultural Inputs is a meaningful pocket of basic materials, currently lagging on price action; growth is running above sector norms, quality signals are mixed, and valuation sits below sector norms. Leadership is concentrated in a few names.
Median 3M return
-21.4%
Forward P/E
13.7x
Top 3 weight
72.8%
Market cap
$164.52B
Coverage
18 stocks
Breadth
11% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
1.5% OF SECTOR
Chemicals
Fairly pricedWeak qualityNeutralWeak growthOne-name heavy
Chemicals is a smaller pocket of basic materials, moving broadly in line with the rest of the sector; growth is softer than the sector average, quality metrics trail the sector median, and valuation is close to sector norms. Leadership is extremely concentrated in one or two names.
Median 3M return
-3.8%
Forward P/E
9.7x
Top 3 weight
78.5%
Market cap
$44.51B
Coverage
16 stocks
Breadth
50% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
1.2% OF SECTOR
Precious Metals
Premium vs sectorHigh qualityLaggingStrong growthDiversified
Precious Metals is a smaller pocket of basic materials, currently lagging on price action; growth is running above sector norms, business quality is stronger than the sector median, and valuation still carries a premium.
Median 3M return
-20.3%
Forward P/E
14.4x
Top 3 weight
54.2%
Market cap
$36.18B
Coverage
19 stocks
Breadth
21% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
1.0% OF SECTOR
Aluminum
Fairly pricedMixed qualityLeadingStrong growthOne-name heavy
Aluminum is a smaller pocket of basic materials, still leading on price action; growth is running above sector norms, quality signals are mixed, and valuation is close to sector norms. Leadership is extremely concentrated in one or two names.
Median 3M return
+25.4%
Forward P/E
9.7x
Top 3 weight
90.3%
Market cap
$31.8B
Coverage
4 stocks
Breadth
100% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
1.0% OF SECTOR
Silver
Premium vs sectorHigh qualityLaggingStrong growthOne-name heavy
Silver is a smaller pocket of basic materials, currently lagging on price action; growth is running above sector norms, business quality is stronger than the sector median, and valuation still carries a premium. Leadership is extremely concentrated in one or two names.
Median 3M return
-24.1%
Forward P/E
19.9x
Top 3 weight
99.2%
Market cap
$31.75B
Coverage
4 stocks
Breadth
0% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
0.9% OF SECTOR
Paper & Forest Products
Cheap vs sectorWeak qualityNeutralWeak growthConcentrated
Paper & Forest Products is a smaller pocket of basic materials, moving broadly in line with the rest of the sector; growth is softer than the sector average, quality metrics trail the sector median, and valuation sits below sector norms. Leadership is concentrated in a few names.
Median 3M return
-0.9%
Forward P/E
18.1x
Top 3 weight
74.0%
Market cap
$27.93B
Coverage
11 stocks
Breadth
36% pos. in 3M
Open filtered screener
Sector Outlook
Basic Materials Sector Outlook - Q1 2026
Updated Q1 2026
Chemical and specialty materials businesses may outperform pure commodity names if they have better pricing power. Watch inventory normalization and whether cost pass-through stays intact.
Quality shows up in margins, asset position, and balance sheet flexibility — not just the lowest forward multiple.
Earnings Calendar
Upcoming Earnings in Basic Materials Sector
Earnings reports are the biggest near-term catalysts for sector moves. Track which names report in the next 60 days and size your positions accordingly.
No earnings in the next 60 days
Check individual stock pages for the latest earnings dates and estimated EPS.
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