Now, how about some raw materials/commodities/whathave you

I guess I don't really have much basic industry that, ya know, makes tangible things like metals at the moment. I started off with some oil and steel companies, and now I think I'm going to toss in some mining/ raw materials companies. I'm just going to toss out a few to start looking at:

GNI Great Northern Iron Ore
8.4% yield, 8% growth -- 80-90% payout? ;/
Beta: .43 PE:6.35 PB: 10.02 Analysts : none

WTR Aqua America Inc.
3.1% yield ****, ~5% growth rate 66% payout
Beta: .17 PE:24 PB:2.41 Analysts: 1.5

^the above info is a little old

CWCO Consolidated Water Co
1.4% yield 5% ish growth 50% payout
Beta: 1.75 PE:? PB:2.2 ANALYSTS: 2.25

DOW The Dow Chemical Company
3% yield, 7-8% growth ?90% payout
Beta: 2.26 PE:? PB:2 ANALYSTS: 3.17

MON Monsanto Company
1.3% Yield *** 20+% growth rate- but is it sustainable? 40% payout so probably
Beta:.75 PE:21.5 PB:7.3 ANALYSTS: 2.07

APD Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
2.4% Yield *****, 10% growth rate 60% payout
Beta:1.16 PE: 23.4 PB:4 ANALYSTS: 1.82

KMB Kimberly-Clark Corporation
4.1 ***** 7% growth rate 60% payout
Beta:.47 PE: 15 PB:? ANALYSTS: 2.36

TRA Terra Industries Inc.
1.4% yield, recently reinstated dividends 10% payout??
Beta:.99 PE:6.7 PB:2.4 ANALYSTS: 2.0

DD Dupont
5.4 % yield, 3% growth Unsustainable payout ratio? 200%?
Beta:1.41 PE:43 PB:10 ANALYSTS: 2.5 Ick not great ratios

ABX Barrick Gold Corporation
1.2% yield, 10% growth, 55% payout
Beta:.59 PE:46 PB:2.9 ANALYSTS: 2.0

I think I am going to throw Dupont right out the window now, as although they yield is attractive, not much else is. Now, to chart the others.

In the short run (3 Mo), DOW has done quite well, but it was brutalized over the last year. WTR has not done too well in the short term.

Over a year, WR, KMB,CWCO have outperformed, as well as GNI (slightly). CWCO recovered from heavy losses last year.

Over 5 yrs, ABX, APD, CWCO and WTR have outperformed, and only KMB and DOW have significantly underperformed.

I feel that DOW may outperform in the short term to catch up to the market as a whole, but I do not see any evidence that it will continue to outperform in the long run. GNI seems to follow the market, but that is fine when you are also getting an 8% yield.


My initial inclination is towards GNI, CWCO, WTR, APD, and ABX. Time to look at financial statements.

I didn't see anything too glaring- general uptrend in total equity, no huge jumps in liabilities, although GNI did pick up a reasonable amount for such a small company.

Lets just toss 10k into each. What the heck. Next time hopefully I will add some more financial assets, as I am a bit less skittish about them now.