Materials Sector Weekly Round-up: WD-40 tops list; Sigma Lithium at bottom (NYSEARCA:XLB)

The S&P 500 Materials sector was down -0.46% this week, with the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLB) trailing -0.5%.

Gold futures (XAUUSD:CUR) prices gained on Friday and reached around $2,058.50/oz, poised for its biggest daily gain since mid-December, while March silver (XAGUSD:CUR) +3.1% to $23.41/oz.

Precious metals gained on fears of escalating conflict in the Middle East with the U.S. and U.K. launching more than 60 airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. The safe-haven appeal outweighed a higher dollar and Treasury yields following slightly stronger than expected U.S. inflation data.

Copper futures (HG1:COM) also had a positive week, with Reuters reporting benchmark three-month copper (HG1:COM) on the London Metal Exchange traded +0.6% at $8,424/metric ton, after sliding to a one-month low of $8,320 on Wednesday.

Take a look at this week’s top gainers among basic material stocks ($2B market cap or more):

• WD-40 Company (WDFC) +17.56%; Shares jumped after top and bottom line beats for Q1.
• Osisko gold royalties (OR) +7.65%
• Eldorado Gold (EGO) +7.61%
• Gold Fields (GFI) +5.16%
• Kinross Gold (KGC) +4.62

Here are the top losers among basic material stocks:

• Sigma Lithium (SGML) -12.61%
• Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM) -9.77%
• Nutrien (NTR) -7.83%
• Gerdau (GGB) -7.74%
• Mosaic (MOS) -6.48%

Other materials ETFs to watch: iShares Global Timber & Forestry ETF (WOOD), Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF, Vanguard Materials ETF (VAW), iShares Global Materials ETF (MXI), SPDR S&P Metals and Mining ETF (XME), VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING), Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX).