The S&P Materials sector closed this trading week in the green at +1.95%one of the best winners for the five day period. The SPDR material selection sector (NYSEARCA:XLB) was also up +1.01%.

Copper Futures Contracts (HG1:COM) closed at the same levels as at the start of the week, but surged in the past three days to its best percentage gain in nearly a month, dating back to January 12. as the major averages rally deep in the green and the dollar weakens.

A shortage of stock also has an impact on prices; Mining.com’s Frik Els wrote that copper stocks are approaching historic lows again, with just 200,000 metric tons of available inventory officially held by exchanges in London, New York and Shanghai.

Investor concerns over tight supply and falling inventories also pushed aluminum prices higher, which hit near a 13-year high in October during the week. According to Reuters, the benchmark aluminum on the London Metal Exchange (LMAHDS03:COM) was recently +1.9% at $3,192.50/metric ton; prices reached $3,229/mt in October, which was the highest since 2008.

Aluminum leads gains in the base metals complex so far this year, up around 13%, thanks in part to China, which produces more than half of the world’s supply and has limited its production to reduce pollution.

During the week, iron ore futures in Singapore rose above $150 per metric ton to reach their highest level in five months, according to Bloomberg, as Chinese authorities decided to prioritize the economic growth by giving the country’s steel industry an extra five years to start getting its carbon under control. emissions.

Meanwhile, timber prices (LB1:COM) Pink +3.6% Friday, trading at $1,294.90 per thousand board feet, and up 16% since Monday, after the Canadian province of Ontario declared a state of emergency in a bid to end protests that paralyzed traffic at major border crossings, blocking the movement of goods.

Take a look at this week’s top gainers and losers among basic materials stocks (market cap $300 million or more):

ferroglobe (NASDAQ: GSM) +26.40%; The specialty metals company had a solid week, with prices hitting highs near highs last seen in December.

Largo (NASDAQ: LGO) +24.22%; Prices seem to have stabilized after a decline in the second half of January, with stocks rising +14.90% YTD.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: m²) +20.69%; High lithium prices continue to support stocks, with Citi recently raising its lithium price forecast to $60,000/tonne.

Aluminum Corp. from China (NYSE:ACH) +20.19%; Strong aluminum prices had a positive effect on ACH prices this week.

Company of Minas Buenaventura (NYSE: BVN) +18.64%; Stocks surged +7.62% on February 08, after Newmont and Buenaventura announced a definitive agreement whereby Newmont (NYSE:NEM) will acquire Buenaventura’s 43.65% interest in Minera Yanacocha, South America’s largest gold mine.

Glatfelter (NYSE:GLT) -15.32%; Rising energy prices put pressure on company earnings in the fourth quarter, although revenue rose +42.2% Y/Y.

Logic of light waves (NASDAQ: LWLG) -9.99%; Equities continue to fall since the beginning of the year, with a -59.19% down since the start of the year.

Animating Science (NYSE: DNMR) -9.95%; stocks fell 93.58% during the last one-year period. Investors will be cautious as the company will release its fourth quarter financial results on February 28, 2022.

Zymergen (NASDAQ:ZY) -9.38%; Stocks fell 89.22% over the past year-long period amid a delay in the ramp-up of its first product, called Hyaline, and an abrupt exit from its CEO Josh Hoffman. The synthetic biology company also laid off 120 workers in September 2021, saying it is still evaluating target markets and how its product portfolio might fit in those markets.

Chemours (NYSE:CC) -9.34%; Shares plunged to a two-month low on Friday after the company missed fourth-quarter adjusted earnings estimates and provided a disappointing FY22 earnings forecast.

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