4 Stocks Pushing The Basic Materials Sector Lower

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

Two out of the three major indices are trading lower today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading down 19 points (-0.1%) at 13,006 as of Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, 11:50 AM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,239 issues advancing vs. 1,655 declining with 129 unchanged.

The Basic Materials sector currently sits down 0.2% versus the S&P 500, which is down 0.1%. On the negative front, top decliners within the sector include Gold Fields (GFI), down 3.8%, Anglogold Ashanti (AU), down 2.2%, Newmont Mining Corporation (NEM), down 2.1%, Goldcorp (GG), down 1.5% and CF Industries Holdings (CF), down 1.5%. Top gainers within the sector include Continental Resources (CLR), up 5.8%, Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (COG), up 2.6%, Cenovus Energy (CVE), up 1.6%, Anadarko Petroleum (APC), up 1.5% and Teck Resources (TCK), up 1.3%.

TheStreet Ratings group would like to highlight 4 stocks pushing the sector lower today:

4. Air Products & Chemicals (APD) is one of the companies pushing the Basic Materials sector lower today. As of noon trading, Air Products & Chemicals is down $0.73 (-0.9%) to $82.21 on light volume Thus far, 376,256 shares of Air Products & Chemicals exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1.2 million shares. The stock has ranged in price between $82.01-$83.39 after having opened the day at $83.12 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $82.94.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, equipment, and services worldwide. Air Products & Chemicals has a market cap of $17.5 billion and is part of the chemicals industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 17.7, equal to the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 3.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday. Currently there are 8 analysts that rate Air Products & Chemicals a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 7 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Air Products & Chemicals as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its reasonable valuation levels, good cash flow from operations and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself. Get the full Air Products & Chemicals Ratings Report now.

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