W.R. Grace & Company (GRA): Today's Featured Chemicals Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

W.R. Grace & Company (GRA) pushed the Chemicals industry higher today making it today's featured chemicals winner. The industry as a whole closed the day down 0.3%. By the end of trading, W.R. Grace & Company rose 76 cents (1.3%) to $61.54 on average volume. Throughout the day, 917,868 shares of W.R. Grace & Company exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 695,100 shares. The stock ranged in a price between $61.12-$61.58 after having opened the day at $61.12 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $60.78. Other companies within the Chemicals industry that increased today were: Cereplast (CERP), up 9.7%, Altair Nanotechnologies (ALTI), up 5.6%, Metabolix (MBLX), up 5.2%, and Lightbridge (LTBR), up 4.9%.

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W.R. Grace & Co. engages in the production and sale of specialty chemicals and materials worldwide. W.R. Grace & Company has a market cap of $4.55 billion and is part of the basic materials sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 17.1, equal to the average chemicals industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 32.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are three analysts that rate W.R. Grace & Company a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and none rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates W.R. Grace & Company as a sell. Among the areas we feel are negative, one of the most important has been unimpressive growth in net income over time.

• You can view the full W.R. Grace Ratings Report.

On the negative front, Pacific Ethanol (PEIX), down 29.6%, Ceres (CERE), down 8.2%, China Green Agriculture (CGA), down 6.3%, and Lizhan Environmental (LZEN), down 5.6%, were all laggards within the chemicals industry with Dow Chemical (DOW) being today's chemicals industry laggard.

• Use our chemicals section to find industry-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the chemicals industry could consider Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) while those bearish on the chemicals industry could consider ProShares Short Basic Materials Fd (SBM).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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