Jump straight to Webull! Get real-time market data, analysis tools and $0 commissions.
Materials stocks are essential to the metabolism of society because this sector is responsible for producing the raw materials used by all other sectors of the stock market.
The Trump administration’s policies skew the pitch in favor of domestic producers so this class of stocks has sparked interest among most investors. You can diversify your portfolio and add to your financial growth by trading these 5 select basic materials stocks that could outperform their earnings estimate.
Table of contents [Hide]
Overview: Basic Materials Stocks
Basic materials stocks represent companies dealing with the discovery, development and processing of raw materials. This includes companies that make or process construction materials, chemicals, paper, glass, packaging products and forest products as well as minerals, metals and mining companies.
All stocks across this sector are very sensitive to the world economy. The sector tends to perform strongly at the beginning of an economic recovery. The companies may also weaken as the business cycle makes a transition from sharp recovery to stable expansion. Cyclical in its movements, investors often ignore this sector because it’s small or not ideal for their investing style. Basic materials make up the smallest sector exposure in the S&P 500’s 11 industrial segments — it weighs just over 2%.
For most commodities, the supply of basic materials is in geographical areas of marginal economic development and political uncertainty. As a result, the harvesting of natural resources like metals, coal and timber lends the sector greater exposure to 3rd world countries.
Best Online Brokers for Basic Materials Stocks
To start trading basic materials stocks, you’ll need to open a brokerage account with a discount or full-service broker. An online broker can help you identify the best stocks in the basic materials sector as well as provide the platform and tools to trade. Any of the online brokers on this list can help you on your investment journey.
Best For
Intermediate Traders and Investors
N/A
1 Minute Review
Webull, founded in 2017, is a mobile app-based brokerage that features commission-free stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading. It’s regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Webull offers active traders technical indicators, economic calendars, ratings from research agencies, margin trading and short-selling. Webull’s trading platform is designed for intermediate and experienced traders, although beginning traders can also benefit.
Webull is widely considered one of the best Robinhood alternatives.
Best For
- Active traders
- Intermediate traders
- Advanced traders
Pros
- Commission-free trading in over 5,000 different stocks and ETFs
- No account maintenance fees or software platform fees
- No charges to open and maintain an account
- Leverage of 4:1 on margin trades made the same day and leverage of 2:1 on trades held overnight
- Intuitive trading platform with technical and fundamental analysis tools
Cons
- Does not support trading in mutual funds, bonds or OTC stocks
Best For
Futures Trading
N/A
1 Minute Review
TradeStation is for advanced traders who need a comprehensive platform. The brokerage offers an impressive range of investable assets as frequent and professional traders appreciate its wide range of analysis tools. TradeStation’s app is also equally effective, offering full platform capabilities.
Best For
- Advanced traders
- Options and futures traders
- Active stock traders
Pros
- Comprehensive trading platform and professional-grade tools
- Wide range of tradable securities
- Fully-operational mobile app
Cons
- Confusing pricing structure to leave new traders with a weak understanding of what they pay
- Cluttered layout to make navigating TradeStation’s platform more difficult than it should be
Best For
Options Trading
N/A
1 Minute Review
This publicly listed discount broker, which is in existence for over four decades, is service-intensive, offering intuitive and powerful investment tools. Especially, with equity investing, a flat fee is charged, with the firm claiming that it charges no trade minimum, no data fees, and no platform fees. Though it is pricier than many other discount brokers, what tilts the scales in its favor is its well-rounded service offerings and the quality and value it offers its clients.
Best For
- Novice investors
- Retirement savers
- Day traders
Pros
- World-class trading platforms
- Detailed research reports and Education Center
- Assets ranging from stocks and ETFs to derivatives like futures and options
Cons
- Thinkorswim can be overwhelming to inexperienced traders
- Derivatives trading more costly than some competitors
- Expensive margin rates
Best For
Advanced traders
N/A
1 Minute Review
Moomoo is a commission-free mobile trading app available on Apple, Google and Windows devices. A subsidiary of Futu Holdings Ltd., it’s backed by venture capital affiliates of Matrix, Sequoia, and Tencent (NASDAQ: FUTU). Securities offered by Futu Inc., regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Moomoo is another great alternative for Robinhood. This is an outstanding trading platform if you want to dive deep into smart trading. It offers impressive trading tools and opportunities for both new and advanced traders, including advanced charting, pre and post-market trading, international trading, research and analysis tools, and most popular of all, free Level 2 quotes.
Get started right away by downloading Moomoo to your phone, tablet or another mobile device.
Best For
- Cost-conscious traders
- Novice traders
- Active/Advanced traders
Pros
- Free Level 2 market data for all users who open an account
- Commission-free trading in over 5,000 different stocks and ETFs
- Over 8,000 different stocks that can be sold short
- $0 contract fee for trading options, no commission either
- Strong market data and analysis tools with over 50 technical indicators
- Access trading and quotes in pre-market (4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET) and post-market hours (4 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET)
- No minimum deposit to open an account.
- Active trading community with more than 100,000 app users
Cons
- No phone or chat support
Features to Look for in Basic Materials Stocks
- Earnings growth is an important screening criterion when choosing a company to invest in. When you own stock, you take part in the growth of the underlying company, as measured by the earnings per share (EPS) growth. The earnings growth can be measured over various time frames, like year-over-year or a 5-year average. Filter out stocks with negative or declining earnings growth. A positive EPS indicates profitability.
- Debt-equity ratio primarily measures a company’s financial strength. It’s the percentage of a company’s total capitalization owed to others versus the shareholders’ equity. A lower debt-equity ratio is better. As a reasonable rule of thumb, consider companies that have a debt-equity ratio less than 50%.
- The position in the economic cycle also affects the demand for basic materials. Basic materials stocks suffer when the economy weakens and thrive when market conditions are on the upswing. Choose your entry point wisely.
Trade Basic Materials Stocks
The basic materials sector has been susceptible to changes in the global economy. Even as revenue and earnings drop, it’s difficult to resist buying top stocks when prices plummet. Investing in the materials sector might seem like a bad idea at the moment, but an economic rebound triggers demand, the 5 stocks we highlighted will see a boom. Basic materials is a cyclical sector — be sure to do your homework before putting your money there. Don’t risk it all until there’s more clarity to the economy.
Turn to Webull
0 Commissions and no deposit minimums. Everyone gets smart tools for smart investing. Webull supports full extended hours trading, which includes full pre-market (4:00 AM - 9:30 AM ET) and after hours (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET) sessions. Webull Financial LLC is registered with and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). It is also a member of the SIPC, which protects (up to $500,000, which includes a $250,000 limit for cash) against the loss of cash and securities held by a customer at a financially-troubled SIPC-member brokerage firm.
