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 22nd ranked industry out of 145 stock market industries
Learn how the Zen Ratings work
Ticker
Company
Zen Rating
Sentiment
Market Cap
Shares
Institutional %
Insider %
Net Insider (L12M)
Net Insider (L3M)
MATV
MATIV HOLDINGS INC
$711.40M55,190,09890.56%9.44%Net SellingNet Selling
KOP
KOPPERS HOLDINGS INC
$969.03M18,911,56887.96%12.04%Net SellingNet Selling
ALTO
ALTO INGREDIENTS INC
$340.52M77,567,56441.52%21.51%Net SellingNet Buying
IOSP
INNOSPEC INC
$2.28B24,631,04769.69%30.31%Net Selling
ODC
OIL-DRI CORP OF AMERICA
$1.34B14,488,33552.63%5.25%Net Buying
SQM
CHEMICAL & MINING CO OF CHILE INC
$20.55B285,637,80813.80%0.01%
AXTA
AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS LTD
$8.17B214,019,99746.92%53.08%Net SellingNet Selling
LYB
LYONDELLBASELL INDUSTRIES NV
$19.25B323,037,95229.91%70.09%Net SellingNet Selling
NGVT
INGEVITY CORP
$2.68B34,377,92297.55%2.45%Net SellingNet Selling
NEU
NEWMARKET CORP
$8.18B9,196,40653.49%46.51%Net Selling
EMN
EASTMAN CHEMICAL CO
$8.42B114,377,42194.15%2.19%Net SellingNet Selling
FUL
FULLER H B CO
$3.28B53,787,41197.57%2.43%Net BuyingNet Buying
AVNT
AVIENT CORP
$4.19B91,719,55094.95%5.05%Net Selling
AVTR
AVANTOR INC
$9.19B676,358,84082.75%17.25%Net BuyingNet Selling
CBT
CABOT CORP
$4.52B51,631,00771.82%28.18%Net Selling
SCL
STEPAN CO
$1.48B22,732,54075.81%24.19%Net BuyingNet Buying
WTTR
SELECT WATER SOLUTIONS INC
$2.80B138,480,83359.09%40.91%Net SellingNet Selling
KWR
QUAKER CHEMICAL CORP
$2.92B17,207,70255.89%44.11%Net SellingNet Selling
KRO
KRONOS WORLDWIDE INC
$988.69M115,097,5163.64%96.36%Net BuyingNet Buying
RPM
RPM INTERNATIONAL INC
$14.99B127,741,41282.92%2.77%Net BuyingNet Buying
ALB
ALBEMARLE CORP
$15.47B118,005,05789.92%10.08%Net SellingNet Selling
SSL
SASOL LTD
$7.19B649,375,1045.09%0.03%Net SellingNet Selling
ECVT
ECOVYST INC
$1.14B109,468,39867.51%32.49%Net SellingNet Buying
PPG
PPG INDUSTRIES INC
$26.61B222,300,00090.58%0.89%Net SellingNet Buying
SXT
SENSIENT TECHNOLOGIES CORP
$5.53B42,562,81186.77%13.23%Net SellingNet Selling
SOLS
SOLSTICE ADVANCED MATERIALS INC
$9.68B158,847,36982.31%0.04%Net SellingNet Selling
ASH
ASHLAND INC
$3.50B45,793,37069.20%30.80%Net BuyingNet Buying
WDFC
WD 40 CO
$3.15B13,421,09688.91%5.19%Net Buying
BCPC
BALCHEM CORP
$5.72B31,878,02189.65%2.47%Net Selling
MTX
MINERALS TECHNOLOGIES INC
$2.34B31,128,76295.99%4.01%Net SellingNet Selling
CMT
CORE MOLDING TECHNOLOGIES INC
$234.23M8,849,03471.03%27.58%Net SellingNet Selling
SHW
SHERWIN WILLIAMS CO
$89.75B242,758,15180.45%1.39%Net SellingNet Buying
APD
AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICALS INC
$67.57B222,685,53089.50%0.91%Net Selling
OEC
ORION SA
$409.22M56,522,69991.05%6.68%Net Selling
WLK
WESTLAKE CORP
$9.90B127,796,5481.56%98.44%Net SellingNet Selling
DD
DUPONT DE NEMOURS INC
$19.24B135,042,97597.84%2.16%Net SellingNet Selling
ECL
ECOLAB INC
$80.26B281,437,50269.44%30.56%Net SellingNet Buying
PRM
PERIMETER SOLUTIONS INC
$5.77B163,686,92370.57%29.43%Net SellingNet Selling
CC
CHEMOURS CO
$2.37B150,498,99587.35%3.16%Net Selling
HWKN
HAWKINS INC
$2.71B20,875,11778.69%12.35%Net Selling
LIN
LINDE PLC
$225.87B460,980,16382.21%0.29%Net SellingNet Selling
YMAT
J-STAR HOLDING CO LTD
$7.70M4,010,1040.30%99.70%
STDN
STANDARD NUCLEAR INC
N/A160,673,5420.00%100.00%Net BuyingNet Buying
IFF
INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC
$21.91B255,149,96378.47%21.53%Net BuyingNet Buying
FF
FUTUREFUEL CORP
$223.27M43,863,5078.56%91.44%Net BuyingNet Buying
HDSN
HUDSON TECHNOLOGIES INC
$235.37M42,068,78846.95%53.05%Net SellingNet Buying
LWLG
LIGHTWAVE LOGIC INC
$1.25B154,079,63227.12%16.85%Net SellingNet Selling
GEVO
GEVO INC
$382.16M243,411,32935.97%12.57%Net SellingNet Selling
CITR
CITROTECH INC
$131.91M22,357,4127.89%40.09%Net BuyingNet Selling
OLN
OLIN CORP
$2.12B113,982,49080.29%19.71%Net SellingNet Selling
FEAM
5E ADVANCED MATERIALS INC
$62.27M41,515,22333.36%66.64%Net BuyingNet Selling
CNEY
CN ENERGY GROUP INC
$3.78M5,623,7562.94%11.23%
SNES
SENESTECH INC
$6.84M5,303,42610.00%90.00%Net BuyingNet Buying
BGLC
BIONEXUS GENE LAB CORP
$3.96M2,417,3140.00%100.00%
FSI
FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL INC
$64.07M12,737,4989.50%50.52%Net Selling
LOOP
LOOP INDUSTRIES INC
$32.90M48,380,3712.89%97.11%Net BuyingNet Buying
ESI
ELEMENT SOLUTIONS INC
$9.23B243,690,91487.70%12.30%Net Selling
NTIC
NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORP
$79.96M9,496,43918.89%81.11%Net BuyingNet Buying

Specialty Chemical Stocks FAQ

What are the best specialty chemical stocks to buy right now in Aug 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. Mativ Holdings (NYSE:MATV)


Mativ Holdings (NYSE:MATV) 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 Mativ Holdings (NYSE:MATV) is: Value: B, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: B, 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 52.36% over the past year, overperforming other specialty chemical stocks by 39 percentage points.

2. Koppers Holdings (NYSE:KOP)


Koppers Holdings (NYSE:KOP) 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 Koppers Holdings (NYSE:KOP) is: Value: C, Growth: C, Momentum: A, Sentiment: B, Safety: C, Financials: C, and AI: A.

Koppers Holdings (NYSE:KOP) has a Due Diligence Score of 16, which is -16 points lower than the specialty chemical industry average of 32. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates KOP as a "A".

KOP passed 5 out of 38 due diligence checks and has weak fundamentals. Koppers Holdings has seen its stock return 54.01% over the past year, overperforming other specialty chemical stocks by 41 percentage points.

Koppers Holdings has an average 1 year price target of $55.00, an upside of 7.34% from Koppers Holdings's current stock price of $51.24.

Koppers Holdings stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 1 analyst covering Koppers Holdings, 0% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 100% have issued a Buy, 0% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

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: C, Growth: B, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: C, Financials: C, and AI: C.

Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) has a Due Diligence Score of 47, which is 15 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 32.

ALTO passed 15 out of 33 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. Alto Ingredients has seen its stock return 339% over the past year, overperforming other specialty chemical stocks by 326 percentage points.

Alto Ingredients has an average 1 year price target of $10.00, an upside of 127.79% from Alto Ingredients's current stock price of $4.39.

Alto Ingredients stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 1 analyst covering Alto Ingredients, 0% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 100% 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. Lyondellbasell Industries Nv (NYSE:LYB)


Lyondellbasell Industries Nv (NYSE:LYB) has an annual dividend yield of 6.91%, which is 5 percentage points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 1.86%. 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.

2. Eastman Chemical Co (NYSE:EMN)


Eastman Chemical Co (NYSE:EMN) has an annual dividend yield of 4.55%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 1.86%. 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.

3. Olin (NYSE:OLN)


Olin (NYSE:OLN) has an annual dividend yield of 4.3%, which is 2 percentage points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 1.86%. 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 up?

Specialty chemical stocks were up 0.56% in the last day, and up 4.82% over the last week. Gevo was the among the top gainers in the specialty chemicals industry, gaining 9.03% yesterday.

Gevo shares are trading higher after the company reported better-than-expected Q2 financial 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. Lyondellbasell Industries Nv (NYSE:LYB)


Lyondellbasell Industries Nv (NYSE:LYB) is the 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.

Lyondellbasell Industries Nv has a valuation score of 14, which is -8 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 22. It passed 1 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates LYB a Valuation Rating of "B".

Lyondellbasell Industries Nv's stock has gained 18.78% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the specialty chemical industry by 6 percentage points.

2. Fuller H B Co (NYSE:FUL)


Fuller H B Co (NYSE:FUL) is the second 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.

Fuller H B Co has a valuation score of 43, which is 21 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 22. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Fuller H B Co's stock has gained 8.34% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the specialty chemical industry by -5 percentage points.

3. Mativ Holdings (NYSE:MATV)


Mativ Holdings (NYSE:MATV) 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.

Mativ Holdings has a valuation score of 43, which is 21 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 22. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Mativ Holdings's stock has gained 52.36% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the specialty chemical industry by 39 percentage points.

Are specialty chemical stocks a good buy now?

48.78% of specialty chemical stocks rated by analysts are a buy right now. On average, analysts expect specialty chemical stocks to rise by 16.48% over the next year.

9.8% of specialty chemical stocks have a Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy), 33.33% of specialty chemical stocks are rated B (Buy), 41.18% are rated C (Hold), 11.76% are rated D (Sell), and 3.92% 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 -89.17x.
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