5 Stocks Pushing The Basic Materials Sector Higher

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

All three major indices are trading up today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading up 83 points (0.6%) at 13,218 as of Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, 11:50 AM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,927 issues advancing vs. 999 declining with 148 unchanged.

The Basic Materials sector currently sits up 0.1% versus the S&P 500, which is up 0.8%. Top gainers within the sector include YPF Sociedad Anonima (YPF), up 5.1%, National Oilwell Varco (NOV), up 1.4%, Total (TOT), up 1.2%, Monsanto Company (MON), up 1.1% and Dow Chemical (DOW), up 1.0%.

TheStreet Ratings group would like to highlight 5 stocks pushing the sector higher today:

5. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (DD) is one of the companies pushing the Basic Materials sector higher today. As of noon trading, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is up $0.44 (1.0%) to $44.53 on light volume Thus far, 2.0 million shares of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 6.2 million shares. The stock has ranged in price between $44.22-$44.75 after having opened the day at $44.23 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $44.09.

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company operates as a science and technology based company worldwide. Its Agriculture segment provides hybrid corn and soybean seeds, and grains under the Pioneer brand name; and herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company has a market cap of $41.0 billion and is part of the chemicals industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 13.4, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 3.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday. Currently there are 7 analysts that rate E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 8 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company as a buy. Among the primary strengths of the company is its respectable return on equity which we feel is likely to continue. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income. Get the full E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company Ratings Report now.

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