Sectors & IndustriesBasic MaterialsSpecialty Chemicals
Best Specialty Chemical Stocks to Buy Now (2026)
Top specialty chemical stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +28.50% per year, and are the best specialty chemical stocks to buy now. Learn More.

Industry: Specialty Chemicals
A
Specialty Chemicals is Zen Rated A and is the 27th ranked industry out of 145 stock market industries
Learn how the Zen Ratings work
Ticker
Company
Market Cap
Dividend Yield
Payout Ratio
Last Dividend
Annual Dividend
Dividend Percentile
Dividend Dropped Count (L10Y)
Ex-dividend Date
Div. Payment Date
SSL
SASOL LTD
$10.69BN/A0.00%$0.1037N/AN/A3
MATV
MATIV HOLDINGS INC
$618.68M3.57%24.50%$0.1000$0.4068%1
ALTO
ALTO INGREDIENTS INC
$267.61MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
KRO
KRONOS WORLDWIDE INC
$855.17M2.69%-21.10%$0.0500$0.2054%1
SQM
CHEMICAL & MINING CO OF CHILE INC
$17.20B2.66%0.00%$0.9328$1.6054%14
KOP
KOPPERS HOLDINGS INC
$819.25M0.81%-7.30%$0.0900$0.3515%0
AVNT
AVIENT CORP
$3.58B2.83%58.80%$0.2750$1.1157%02026-12-112027-01-07
IOSP
INNOSPEC INC
$2.38B1.85%36.50%$0.9200$1.7938%0
ODC
OIL-DRI CORP OF AMERICA
$1.09B1.08%19.30%$0.2250$0.8222%1
NEU
NEWMARKET CORP
$8.06B1.37%25.30%$3.0000$12.0029%0
CBT
CABOT CORP
$3.84B2.48%51.10%$0.4725$1.8550%0
NGVT
INGEVITY CORP
$2.40BN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
AVTR
AVANTOR INC
$11.11BN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
ALB
ALBEMARLE CORP
$11.27B1.70%344.70%$0.4100$1.6335%0
SCL
STEPAN CO
$1.41B2.55%-1,308.30%$0.3950$1.5851%0
FUL
FULLER H B CO
$2.76B1.90%26.60%$0.2450$0.9839%02026-10-29
KWR
QUAKER CHEMICAL CORP
$2.70B1.31%36.20%$0.5300$2.0527%02026-10-30
LYB
LYONDELLBASELL INDUSTRIES NV
$20.68B5.37%-364.60%$0.6900$3.4483%2
AXTA
AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS LTD
$7.16BN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
SXT
SENSIENT TECHNOLOGIES CORP
$5.69B1.23%44.10%$0.4100$1.6425%0
ECVT
ECOVYST INC
$1.13BN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
WTTR
SELECT WATER SOLUTIONS INC
$2.57B1.51%75.00%$0.0700$0.2831%0
FF
FUTUREFUEL CORP
$244.76M2.51%-26.80%$0.0100$0.1451%12026-12-042026-12-18
WDFC
WD 40 CO
$2.69B2.00%59.40%$1.0200$4.0041%02026-10-192026-10-30
EMN
EASTMAN CHEMICAL CO
$7.13B5.39%86.60%$0.8400$3.3683%0
BCPC
BALCHEM CORP
$5.44B0.56%18.70%$0.9600$0.969%0
SOLS
SOLSTICE ADVANCED MATERIALS INC
$9.41B0.39%N/A$0.0800$0.235%0
ASH
ASHLAND INC
$3.26B2.35%158.60%$0.4200$1.6748%1
PPG
PPG INDUSTRIES INC
$23.87B2.67%40.50%$0.7400$2.8754%0
DD
DUPONT DE NEMOURS INC
$17.62B1.84%704.70%$0.6000$2.4038%4
MTX
MINERALS TECHNOLOGIES INC
$1.96B0.76%-21.50%$0.1200$0.4813%0
PRM
PERIMETER SOLUTIONS INC
$4.34BN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
RPM
RPM INTERNATIONAL INC
$12.72B2.17%39.90%$0.5400$2.1644%0
ECL
ECOLAB INC
$80.98B1.01%37.90%$0.7300$2.9220%0
CMT
CORE MOLDING TECHNOLOGIES INC
$202.73MN/A0.00%$0.0500N/AN/A0
APD
AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICALS INC
$66.71B2.41%-3,272.70%$1.8100$7.2249%02026-11-09
SHW
SHERWIN WILLIAMS CO
$81.37B0.95%29.00%$0.8000$3.1918%0
OEC
ORION SA
$301.83M1.15%-4.70%$0.0207$0.0623%22026-12-112027-01-19
CC
CHEMOURS CO
$1.92B2.76%-17.50%$0.0875$0.3555%1
LIN
LINDE PLC
$229.77B1.26%39.80%$1.6000$6.3026%0
FEAM
5E ADVANCED MATERIALS INC
$122.03MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
HWKN
HAWKINS INC
$2.75B0.58%19.60%$0.2000$0.7710%1
WLK
WESTLAKE CORP
$8.09B3.35%-22.20%$0.5330$2.1265%0
IFF
INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC
$23.14B1.76%140.40%$0.4000$1.6036%1
HDSN
HUDSON TECHNOLOGIES INC
$210.86MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
STDN
STANDARD NUCLEAR INC
$1.91BN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
GEVO
GEVO INC
$289.27MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
LWLG
LIGHTWAVE LOGIC INC
$612.04MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
OLN
OLIN CORP
$1.78B5.11%-46.20%$0.2000$0.8081%0
LOOP
LOOP INDUSTRIES INC
$15.97MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
CITR
CITROTECH INC
$62.47MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
NTIC
NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORP
$73.22M0.26%-25.00%$0.0100$0.023%2
SNES
SENESTECH INC
$3.51MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
YMAT
J-STAR HOLDING CO LTD
$5.25MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
FSI
FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL INC
$77.27MN/A0.00%$0.1000N/AN/A1
CNEY
CN ENERGY GROUP INC
$4.98MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A
ESI
ELEMENT SOLUTIONS INC
$8.54B0.91%43.20%$0.0800$0.3217%0
BGLC
BIONEXUS GENE LAB CORP
$3.52MN/A0.00%N/AN/AN/AN/A

Specialty Chemical Stocks FAQ

What are the best specialty chemical stocks to buy right now in Oct 2026?

According to Zen Ratings, our proprietary rating system that evaluates 115 factors proven to drive growth in stocks and assigns each stock in our system an overall letter grade as well as 7 individual Component Grades for Value, Growth, Momentum, Sentiment, Safety, Financials, and proprietary AI algorithms, the 3 best specialty chemical stocks to buy right now are:

1. Sasol (NYSE:SSL)


Sasol (NYSE:SSL) is the #1 top specialty chemical stock out of 58 with a Zen Rating of A. Stocks with a rating of A have had an average return of +28.5% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Sasol (NYSE:SSL) is: Value: B, Growth: B, Momentum: A, Sentiment: B, Safety: C, Financials: B, and AI: C.

Sasol (NYSE:SSL) has a Due Diligence Score of 29, which is -3 points lower than the specialty chemical industry average of 32. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates SSL as a "A".

SSL passed 11 out of 38 due diligence checks and has average fundamentals. Sasol has seen its stock return 178.36% over the past year, overperforming other specialty chemical stocks by 170 percentage points.

Sasol stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 2 analysts covering Sasol, 50% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 0% have issued a Buy, 50% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

2. Mativ Holdings (NYSE:MATV)


Mativ Holdings (NYSE:MATV) is the #2 top specialty chemical stock out of 58 with a Zen Rating of A. Stocks with a rating of A have had an average return of +28.5% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Mativ Holdings (NYSE:MATV) is: Value: B, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: A, Safety: B, Financials: B, and AI: C.

Mativ Holdings (NYSE:MATV) has a Due Diligence Score of 26, which is -6 points lower than the specialty chemical industry average of 32. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates MATV as a "A".

MATV passed 9 out of 38 due diligence checks and has average fundamentals. Mativ Holdings has seen its stock return 3.89% over the past year, underperforming other specialty chemical stocks by -4 percentage points.

3. Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO)


Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) is the #3 top specialty chemical stock out of 58 with a Zen Rating of A. Stocks with a rating of A have had an average return of +28.5% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) is: Value: A, Growth: B, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: C, Financials: B, and AI: C.

Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) has a Due Diligence Score of 45, which is 13 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 32.

ALTO passed 14 out of 33 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. Alto Ingredients has seen its stock return 202.63% over the past year, overperforming other specialty chemical stocks by 195 percentage points.

Alto Ingredients has an average 1 year price target of $8.50, an upside of 146.38% from Alto Ingredients's current stock price of $3.45.

Alto Ingredients stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 2 analysts covering Alto Ingredients, 50% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 50% have issued a Buy, 0% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

What are the specialty chemical stocks with highest dividends?

Out of 37 specialty chemical stocks that have issued dividends in the past year, the 3 specialty chemical stocks with the highest dividend yields are:

1. Eastman Chemical Co (NYSE:EMN)


Eastman Chemical Co (NYSE:EMN) has an annual dividend yield of 5.39%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 2.03%. Eastman Chemical Co's dividend payout is stable, having never dropped by more than 10% in the last 10 years. Eastman Chemical Co's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Eastman Chemical Co's dividend payout ratio of 86.6% indicates that its high dividend yield is sustainable for the long-term.

2. Lyondellbasell Industries Nv (NYSE:LYB)


Lyondellbasell Industries Nv (NYSE:LYB) has an annual dividend yield of 5.37%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 2.03%. Lyondellbasell Industries Nv's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% two times in the last 10 years. Lyondellbasell Industries Nv's dividend has not shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Lyondellbasell Industries Nv's dividend payout ratio of -364.6% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

3. Olin (NYSE:OLN)


Olin (NYSE:OLN) has an annual dividend yield of 5.11%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 2.03%. Olin's dividend payout is stable, having never dropped by more than 10% in the last 10 years. Olin's dividend has not shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Olin's dividend payout ratio of -46.2% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

Why are specialty chemical stocks down?

Specialty chemical stocks were down -0.54% in the last day, and up 0.79% over the last week. Loop Industries was the among the top losers in the specialty chemicals industry, dropping -11.29% yesterday.

Loop Industries shares are trading lower after the company reported worse-than-expected Q2 sales results.

What are the most undervalued specialty chemical stocks?

Based on the Valuation rating, one of the 7 components of a stocks overall Zen Ratings grade, which evaluates factors including estimated earnings yield, earnings before interest and taxes/enterprise value, cash flow yield, free cash flow to price, and price-to-earnings growth (PEG ratio), the 3 most undervalued specialty chemical stocks right now are:

1. Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (NYSE:SQM)


Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (NYSE:SQM) is the most undervalued specialty chemical stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile has a valuation score of 43, which is 16 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 27. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile's stock has gained 35.46% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the specialty chemical industry by 27 percentage points.

2. Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO)


Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) is the second most undervalued specialty chemical stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Alto Ingredients has a valuation score of 43, which is 16 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 27. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Alto Ingredients's stock has gained 202.63% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the specialty chemical industry by 195 percentage points.

3. Sasol (NYSE:SSL)


Sasol (NYSE:SSL) is the third most undervalued specialty chemical stock based on its Valuation Rating of B. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Sasol has a valuation score of 43, which is 16 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 27. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Sasol's stock has gained 178.36% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the specialty chemical industry by 170 percentage points.

Are specialty chemical stocks a good buy now?

42.86% of specialty chemical stocks rated by analysts are a strong buy right now. On average, analysts expect specialty chemical stocks to rise by 24.42% over the next year.

8.16% of specialty chemical stocks have a Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy), 32.65% of specialty chemical stocks are rated B (Buy), 46.94% are rated C (Hold), 8.16% are rated D (Sell), and 4.08% are rated F (Strong Sell).

What is the average p/e ratio of the specialty chemicals industry?

The average P/E ratio of the specialty chemicals industry is -94.01x.
WallStreetZen does not provide financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security.

Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes and is not advice. WallStreetZen does not bear any responsibility for any losses or damage that may occur as a result of reliance on this data.