Should You Invest in the Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF?
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 30 2024
0mins
Source: Business Insider
Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB):
- Passively managed ETF providing exposure to the Materials - Broad segment of the equity market.
- Sponsored by State Street Global Advisors with over $5.63 billion in assets.
- Seeks to match the performance of the Materials Select Sector Index with an expense ratio of 0.09%.
- Heaviest allocation in the Materials sector, top holdings include Linde Plc, Sherwin Williams Co, and Freeport Mcmoran Inc.
- Year-to-date performance up 6.77%, with a beta of 1.10 and standard deviation of 19.28%.
Alternatives:
- Other ETF options in the materials segment include SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF (GNR) and FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF (GUNR).
- GNR tracks S&P Global Natural Resources Index with $3.43 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.40%.
- GUNR tracks Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources Index with $6.45 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.46%.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy LIN?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on LIN
Wall Street analysts forecast LIN stock price to fall
17 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 514.510
Low
455.00
Averages
499.07
High
540.00
Current: 514.510
Low
455.00
Averages
499.07
High
540.00
About LIN
Linde plc is a United Kingdom-based global industrial gases and engineering company. The Company's segments include Americas, EMEA, APAC and Engineering. Its primary products in its industrial gases business consists of atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases and process gases, including hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, electronic gases, and acetylene, among others. The Company also designs and builds equipment that produces industrial gases and offers customers a range of gas production and processing services, such as olefin plants, natural gas plants, air separation plants, hydrogen and synthesis gas plants and other types of plants. It serves a diverse group of industries including healthcare, chemicals and energy, manufacturing, metals and mining, food and beverage, and electronics. Its Engineering business designs and manufactures equipment for air separation and other industrial gas applications specifically for end customers.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Texas Instruments Outperformance: Texas Instruments shares have surged 95.2% over the past six months, significantly outperforming the semiconductor industry at 30.2%, driven by strong data center demand that enhances enterprise systems market prospects, with a projected CAGR of 12.1% from 2026 to 2028.
- Linde's Stable Cash Flow: Linde's stock has risen 28.5% in the last six months, outperforming the specialty chemicals sector's 12.7%, supported by a $9.9 billion project backlog and long-term contracts that ensure stable cash flows, with expectations of margin expansion through cost controls and automation.
- BHP's Growth Strategy: BHP shares increased by 61.8% over the past six months, surpassing the mining sector's 39.1%, as the company shifts towards future-facing commodities like copper and potash, positioning itself to benefit from global decarbonization trends despite facing headwinds from weak steel demand and cost pressures.
- Microcap Resilience: Landmark Bancorp's stock has gained 5.9% in the past six months, with a market cap of $170.37 million, benefiting from a diversified community banking franchise that enhances profitability, although it faces slight increases in delinquencies, credit quality remains manageable.
See More
- Workday Earnings Beat: Workday reported earnings that exceeded expectations on both revenue and profit, leading to a stock price increase of over 7%, while also raising its full-year margin outlook, indicating the effectiveness of its AI strategy and potentially attracting more investor interest.
- Deckers Sales Growth: Deckers Outdoor reported a 14.5% increase in Hoka sales and a 9.2% increase in Ugg sales, although its stock fell about 2.5%, the company provided full-year guidance above Wall Street expectations, indicating strong market demand.
- Take-Two Stock Rally: Take-Two Interactive shares rose over 3% after reaffirming that Grand Theft Auto VI will be released in November, despite facing multiple delays, this news may restore market confidence in its future revenues.
- Zoom Guidance Raised: Zoom Communication's earnings beat expectations, with a stock price increase of over 7% and an upgraded full-year guidance, leading KeyBanc to raise its rating from sell to hold, reflecting improved profitability and steady market performance.
See More
- Rocket Lab Performance Surge: Rocket Lab reported a revenue of $200 million in Q1, marking a 63% year-over-year increase, with more launches booked in the first quarter than all of last year, indicating strong growth potential in the small satellite launch market.
- Redwire Order Backlog Growth: Redwire achieved a record backlog of $498 million in Q1, with revenue jumping 58% to $97 million, and full-year revenue expected to reach $450 million to $500 million, reflecting rapidly increasing market demand in the space infrastructure sector.
- Linde's Space Industry Investment: Linde is constructing a $100 million air separation plant in Texas to produce liquid oxygen and nitrogen for rocket propulsion, indicating its expectations for demand from the space industry, even though aerospace currently accounts for less than 5% of its total sales.
- Significant Impact of SpaceX IPO: SpaceX's IPO is projected to be valued between $1.7 trillion and $2 trillion, potentially becoming the largest stock market debut in history, which may further drive investor interest and capital inflow into the space sector.
See More
- SpaceX IPO Outlook: SpaceX is expected to go public on June 12 with a valuation between $1.7 trillion and $2 trillion, potentially marking the largest IPO in history and drawing significant investor interest in the space industry's value.
- Rocket Lab Performance Surge: Rocket Lab reported $200 million in revenue for Q1, a 63% year-over-year increase, with a backlog exceeding $2 billion, and is poised to enhance revenue potential through the upcoming Neutron rocket launch, which could lead to profitability.
- Redwire's Market Potential: Redwire achieved a record backlog of $498 million in Q1, with revenue jumping 58% year-over-year to $97 million, and is projected to reach $450 million to $500 million in full-year revenue, indicating strong growth prospects in space infrastructure.
- Linde's Connection to SpaceX: Linde is constructing a $100 million air separation plant in Texas to supply liquid oxygen and nitrogen for SpaceX, and while aerospace currently accounts for less than 5% of sales, it is expected to grow significantly as launch activities increase in the coming decade.
See More
- Market Outlook: Stock futures are lower this morning due to rising bond yields, posing challenges for the market, particularly as low rates are crucial for stock rallies; without a peace deal soon, oil prices could rise from $108 to $119, potentially pushing the inflation-sensitive 10-year Treasury yield to 5.5%.
- Home Depot Earnings: Home Depot reported first-quarter results that were mostly in line with expectations, with full-year guidance reiterated; however, the stock has struggled due to stagnant mortgage rates, keeping the housing market sluggish and limiting upward movement.
- Intel Business Progress: Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan indicated that the foundry business is gaining momentum, and while he did not directly comment on a manufacturing deal with Apple, he noted that improved production quality has attracted serious interest from external customers, which is key for both the company's turnaround and U.S. national security.
- Nvidia Price Target Increase: HSBC raised its price target on Nvidia from $295 to $325, suggesting that earnings momentum and a stellar product roadmap are less significant narratives now, with analysts arguing that diversifying revenue away from cloud service providers could help unlock share value.
See More
- IPO Financing Scale: SpaceX is set to conduct an IPO this summer aiming to raise $75 billion at a valuation of $1.75 trillion, which will significantly boost its capital expenditures and benefit multiple related companies.
- Alphabet's Investment Opportunity: Alphabet invested $900 million in SpaceX in 2015, and despite dilution from mergers, its stake could be worth approximately $87.5 billion post-IPO, highlighting its strong investment potential in the aerospace sector.
- Intel's Strategic Partnership: Intel is a key partner in SpaceX and Tesla's Terafab project, which aims to enhance chip production capacity, and the IPO proceeds could provide crucial funding, solidifying Intel's position in the semiconductor industry.
- Linde's Market Outlook: As a leading industrial gas supplier for rocket launches, Linde is expected to benefit from SpaceX's increased launch frequency, driving revenue growth, although its current stock price appears high, future demand could enhance profitability.
See More











