Rio Tinto plc and Other Big Movers In Basic Materials on November 29, 2012

The Nasdaq has risen 0.5%, the S&P 500 has moved up 0.5% and the Dow is trading up 0.4%, marking a bad morning for the market. The basic materials sector is the category of stocks that accounts for companies involved with the discovery, development and processing of raw materials. This sector includes the mining and refining of metals, chemical producers and forestry products. The basic materials sector is sensitive to changes in the business cycle. Because the sector supplies materials for construction, it depends on a strong economy. This sector is also sensitive to supply and demand fluctuations because the price of raw materials, such as gold or other metals, is largely demand driven.

The Basic Materials sector (XLB) is up 0.9%, outperforming the market overall. The biggest movers in the sector so far are:

Company	Market Cap	Percentage Change
OM Group (NYSE:OMG)	$667.3 million	-6.1%
Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RIO)	$89.19 billion	+4.4%
Kaman (NYSE:KAMN)	$906 million	+2.9%
Quaker (NYSE:KWR)	$644.4 million	+2.2%
Greif (NYSE:GEF)	$1.98 billion	-2%
CF Industries (NYSE:CF)	$13.1 billion	+1.9%
Minerals Technologies (NYSE:MTX)	$1.3 billion	+1.9%

Broker Summary: Fidelity Online Brokerage

OM Group (NYSE:OMG) has fallen 6.1% and is currently trading at $19.49 per share. The company's volume is currently 334,326 shares for the day, whereas yesterday, volume was only 196,549 shares.

After rising 4.4%, Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RIO) is currently trading at a share price of $49.51. This morning, the company is trading a volume of 1.9 million shares. This is 0.9 times the current three-month average.

Kaman (NYSE:KAMN) has risen 2.9% to hit a current price of $35.67 per share. At 11,798 shares, the company's volume so far today is 0.2 times the average daily volume.

Quaker (NYSE:KWR) is up 2.2% to reach a current price of $49.51 per share. This morning, the company is trading a volume of 17,994 shares.

Falling 2%, Greif (NYSE:GEF) is currently at a share price of $41.17. This morning, 108,883 shares have been traded, with trading activity in keeping with yesterday's on pace to finish the day below yesterday's volume of 266,862 shares.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) has increased to a share price of $212.59, a 1.9% rise. So far today, 441,851 shares have changed hands. This is in keeping with the average volume over the past three months.

Minerals Technologies (NYSE:MTX) is at $74.72 per share after an increase of 1.9%. The company's volume is currently 21,247 shares for the day, 0.2 times its current daily average.

The Bottom Line The nature of the market is such that stocks will have good days and bad days. Paying close attention to the previous ratios will help you identify key times to adjust your strategy. Keep in mind that all these ratios should be compared against historical numbers and industry information in order to get a more complete picture.