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%.
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Analyst Views on LIN
Wall Street analysts forecast LIN stock price to rise
17 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 497.940
Low
455.00
Averages
499.07
High
540.00
Current: 497.940
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.
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- Technical Analysis Tool: Comparing the latest share price to the 200-day moving average provides investors with valuable insights for technical analysis, aiding in the assessment of market trends and potential buy or sell opportunities.
- ETF Unit Trading Mechanism: ETFs trade like stocks, where investors buy and sell 'units' that can be created or destroyed based on investor demand, impacting the liquidity and market performance of the ETF.
- Inflows and Outflows Monitoring: Weekly monitoring of changes in shares outstanding helps identify ETFs experiencing notable inflows (new units created) or outflows (old units destroyed), assessing their impact on underlying assets and overall market dynamics.
See More
CNBC Investing Club April Meeting Highlights
- Market Rebound Analysis: The S&P 500 index reached a record high in April, marking a significant recovery from the Iran war sell-off, indicating a renewed focus on company fundamentals despite the ongoing conflict, which underscores the importance of investor calmness.
- Nike Investment Reflection: Despite insider buying signals prompting us to increase our stake in Nike last December, we are now skeptical about CEO Elliott Hill's ability to turn the company around, and if next quarter's performance is disappointing, we will consider exiting.
- Amazon Cloud Business Recovery: Amazon's stock rebound highlights the importance of patience, as the market is gradually recognizing the strength of its AWS cloud division and online retail business, which are expected to continue growing in the future.
- Nvidia Market Leadership: Nvidia's leading position in the AI chip sector is paying off, and despite competitive pressures, its advantage in computing power positions it well to maintain market leadership going forward.
See More
Analysts Bullish on Nebius and Linde's Future Prospects
- Nebius Group Potential: Nebius Group (NBIS), focusing on AI cloud infrastructure, recently secured a $2 billion investment from Nvidia and a $27 billion contract with Meta, projecting future revenues nearing $50 billion, indicating strong market demand and growth potential.
- Linde's Strategic Advantage: Linde (LIN) holds enough helium reserves to cover six months of global demand amid tightening supply, expected to leverage this advantage to enhance pricing power in the semiconductor sector, thereby expanding profit margins.
- C3.ai's Challenges: C3.ai (AI) faces significant declines with shares down over 55% year-to-date, and management has lowered fiscal 2026 guidance, reflecting execution issues and deteriorating cash flow, leading analysts to generally assign sell ratings.
- Market Response and Outlook: Despite C3.ai's struggles, the strong performance of Nebius and Linde, along with positive analyst ratings, suggests ongoing market interest in AI-related companies, prompting investors to monitor industry dynamics and fundamental changes.
See More
U.S. Stocks Edge Up as PepsiCo and TSMC Shine
- PepsiCo's Quarter Performance: PepsiCo achieved its first volume growth in North American food business in two years, with CEO Ramon Laguarta addressing the industry's threat from GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, leading to a 1% rise in shares, demonstrating the company's resilience and adaptability in a competitive consumer goods market.
- TSMC Profit Surge: TSMC reported a 58% year-over-year profit increase, despite facing challenges with shortages of industrial gases; management noted a 'little bit softer' memory pricing, indicating ongoing demand and competitive pressures in advanced chip manufacturing that could impact future profitability.
- J.B. Hunt Transport Services: J.B. Hunt indicated the start of a new cycle with positive demand signals, reporting a first-quarter earnings beat and a 1% premarket share increase, reflecting potential growth opportunities in the transportation sector.
- Analyst Rating Changes: JPMorgan downgraded Corning to hold and cut its price target from $175 to $115, citing the need for greater earnings visibility to support stock upside, indicating a cautious market outlook on the company's future performance.
See More
Linde: The Invisible Investment Opportunity
- Market Leadership: Linde is the world's largest industrial gas company, focusing on providing ultra-high-purity nitrogen for every AI chip made in America, thereby solidifying its critical role in the semiconductor industry and enhancing its market leadership.
- Long-Term Contract Security: By establishing production plants next to its major customers and signing 10 to 20-year contracts, Linde ensures a stable revenue stream while significantly reducing the likelihood of competitors entering the market.
- Dividend Growth Potential: Linde has just announced its 33rd consecutive annual dividend increase with a 7% year-over-year raise, and its historically low payout ratio of 41% provides ample room for future dividend growth, likely attracting more investor attention.
- Clean Energy Projects: With a $10 billion backlog in clean energy projects, Linde expects $2.5 to $3 billion of these projects to start generating revenue by 2026, further driving its earnings per share growth and showcasing its strong profitability.
See More
Market Pullback Risk Grows, Investment Strategy Adjustments
- Market Pullback Risk: Stocks edged lower on Friday, putting the S&P 500's seven-day winning streak at risk, as profit-taking emerged after a strong week where the index rose approximately 3.5%, indicating cautious market sentiment.
- Target Price Adjustments: We raised Dover's price target from $220 to $230, anticipating growth across all its business segments in 2026, while noting its limited exposure to the Middle East, which underscores its robust growth potential.
- Strong Demand Outlook: Lumentum's CEO indicated the company is nearly sold out of optical components through 2028, suggesting strong demand, leading to an increase in Corning's price target from $160 to $180, reflecting its pricing power in the optical fiber market for data centers.
- Software Stock Pressure: We lowered the price targets for Salesforce and Microsoft to $215 and $500, respectively, due to ongoing pressure from AI threats in the enterprise software market, which is expected to impact their price-to-earnings multiples, reflecting a cautious outlook on software stocks.
See More
Analysis of TQQQ ETF's 52-Week Price Fluctuations
- Price Range Analysis: TQQQ ETF's 52-week low is $20.12 per share, with a high of $60.685, while the last trade was at $47.37, indicating significant volatility and shifts in investor sentiment within the current market.
- Technical Analysis Tool: Comparing the latest share price to the 200-day moving average provides investors with valuable insights for technical analysis, aiding in the assessment of market trends and potential buy or sell opportunities.
- ETF Unit Trading Mechanism: ETFs trade like stocks, where investors buy and sell 'units' that can be created or destroyed based on investor demand, impacting the liquidity and market performance of the ETF.
- Inflows and Outflows Monitoring: Weekly monitoring of changes in shares outstanding helps identify ETFs experiencing notable inflows (new units created) or outflows (old units destroyed), assessing their impact on underlying assets and overall market dynamics.
See More
