Wall St. Watchdog reveals information about today’s action in the Basic Materials (NYSE:XLB) sector:

Gainers (% price change)

• Stillwater Mining Company (NYSE:SWC): The shares closed at $11.93, up $0.81, or 7.28%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $1.38 billion. About the company: Stillwater Mining Company explores for, develops, extracts, processes, and refines platinum, palladium, and associated metals from the J-M Reef located in Stillwater and the East Boulder Mine near McLeod, Montana. The Company also recycles automotive catalytic converters in its processing facility in Columbus, Montana. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>
• Georgia Gulf Corporation (NYSE:GGC): The shares closed at $20.04, up $1.06, or 5.58%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $686.14 million. About the company: Georgia Gulf Corporation manufactures and markets chemical and plastic products. The Company’s products include electrochemicals, methanol, and aromatic chemicals. Georgia Gulf’s products are sold for further processing into a variety of end-use applications, such as plastic piping, window frames made from PVC resins, and bonding agents for wood products. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>
• United States Steel Corp. (NYSE:X): The shares closed at $27.92, up $1.37, or 5.16%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $4.02 billion. About the company: United States Steel Corporation is an integrated steel producer with production operations in North America and Europe. The Company’s operations include coke production in both North America and Europe and iron ore pellets in North America, transportation services (railroad and barge operations), real estate operations, and engineering and consulting services in North America. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>
• AK Steel Holding Corp. (NYSE:AKS): The shares closed at $9.05, up $0.37, or 4.26%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $997.96 million. About the company: AK Steel Holding Corporation, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, produces flat rolled carbon steel. The Company produces coated, cold rolled, and hot rolled carbon steel for the automotive, appliance, construction, and manufacturing markets. AK Steel also cold rolls and aluminum coats stainless steel for automotive industry customers. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>
• Allegheny Tech. Inc. (NYSE:ATI): The shares closed at $49.62, up $1.83, or 3.83%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $5.28 billion. About the company: Allegheny Technologies, Inc., produces specialty materials. The Company’s products include include titanium and titanium alloys, nickel-based alloys and superalloys, zirconium, hafnium and niobium, stainless and specialty steel alloys, grain-oriented electrical steel, tungsten-based materials and cutting tools, carbon alloy impression die forgings, and large grey and ductile iron. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>

Losers (% price change)

• HORSEHEAD HOLDING CORP. (NASDAQ:ZINC): The shares closed at $8.23, down $0.61, or 6.9%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $359.62 million. About the company: Horsehead Holding Corporation produces specialty zinc and zinc-based products. The Company also owns and operates a 110 megawatt coal-fired power plant. Horsehead’s products are used in a wide variety of applications, including the galvanizing of fabricated steel products and as components in rubber tires, alkaline batteries, paint, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>
• Uranerz Energy Corp. (AMEX:URZ): The shares closed at $2.11, down $0.14, or 6.22%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $162.37 million. About the company: Uranerz Energy Corporation explores for, develops, and produces uranium. The Company has interests in properties located in the United States, Mongolia, and Canada. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>
• Lawson Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:LAWS): The shares closed at $16.00, down $0.99, or 5.83%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $137.05 million. About the company: Lawson Products, Inc. sells and distributes expendable maintenance, repair, and replacement products to OEM’s. The Company’s products include fasteners, screws, nuts rivets, hoses and related fittings, lubricants, cleansers, adhesives, files, drills, welding products and other shop supplies. Lawson also supplies automotive electrical wiring, exhaust and other automotive parts. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>
• Calgon Carbon Corporation (NYSE:CCC): The shares closed at $14.68, down $0.82, or 5.29%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $829.36 million. About the company: Calgon Carbon Corporation manufactures and markets products and services employed for separation, concentration, and purification of liquids and gases. The Company serves customers around the world in a variety of areas, including drinking water and wastewater treatment, environmental remediation, industrial process applications, chemical manufacturing, refining, and air purification. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>
• NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NL): The shares closed at $14.34, down $0.72, or 4.78%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $697.83 million. About the company: NL Industries, Inc. is primarily a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, manufactures products that include security products, precision ball bearing slides and ergonomic computer support systems, as well as chemicals such as titanium dioxide pigments. Get the most recent company news and stock data here >>

(Note: Selected financial data are sourced from Google Finance. All data are assumed to be accurate.)

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