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 15th 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)
SSL
SASOL LTD
$8.03B654,093,0170.00%0.03%Net Selling
KRO
KRONOS WORLDWIDE INC
$970.27M115,097,5160.00%100.00%Net Buying
ALTO
ALTO INGREDIENTS INC
$313.37M77,567,5640.05%21.61%Net SellingNet Buying
MATV
MATIV HOLDINGS INC
$698.71M55,190,0980.09%9.61%Net SellingNet Selling
SQM
CHEMICAL & MINING CO OF CHILE INC
$21.83B285,637,8080.01%0.01%
AVNT
AVIENT CORP
$3.98B91,719,5500.11%5.38%Net Selling
IOSP
INNOSPEC INC
$2.31B24,631,0470.10%44.04%Net Selling
ODC
OIL-DRI CORP OF AMERICA
$1.27B14,488,3350.05%5.25%Net Buying
LYB
LYONDELLBASELL INDUSTRIES NV
$20.52B323,037,9520.04%99.96%Net SellingNet Selling
AXTA
AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS LTD
$7.66B214,019,9970.09%99.91%Net SellingNet Selling
KOP
KOPPERS HOLDINGS INC
$903.59M18,911,5680.10%13.30%Net SellingNet Selling
NGVT
INGEVITY CORP
$2.43B34,377,9220.10%2.56%Net SellingNet Selling
NEU
NEWMARKET CORP
$8.14B9,196,4060.07%54.94%Net Selling
FUL
FULLER H B CO
$2.90B53,787,4110.10%2.61%Net BuyingNet Buying
EMN
EASTMAN CHEMICAL CO
$8.14B114,377,4210.09%2.19%Net SellingNet Selling
AVTR
AVANTOR INC
$10.13B676,358,8400.10%20.81%Net BuyingNet Selling
SCL
STEPAN CO
$1.44B22,732,5400.09%27.59%Net BuyingNet Buying
WTTR
SELECT WATER SOLUTIONS INC
$2.78B138,480,8330.09%58.54%Net SellingNet Selling
KWR
QUAKER CHEMICAL CORP
$2.78B17,207,7020.09%69.79%Net SellingNet Selling
CBT
CABOT CORP
$4.21B51,631,0070.10%38.92%Net SellingNet Buying
FF
FUTUREFUEL CORP
$230.72M43,863,3180.01%99.99%Net Buying
ECVT
ECOVYST INC
$1.12B109,468,3980.10%49.09%Net Selling
WDFC
WD 40 CO
$2.79B13,421,0960.09%5.21%Net BuyingNet Selling
ALB
ALBEMARLE CORP
$14.90B118,005,0570.10%10.30%Net SellingNet Selling
PPG
PPG INDUSTRIES INC
$25.02B222,300,0000.09%0.89%Net SellingNet Buying
SXT
SENSIENT TECHNOLOGIES CORP
$5.74B42,562,8110.10%14.66%Net SellingNet Selling
RPM
RPM INTERNATIONAL INC
$13.48B127,741,4120.09%2.77%Net BuyingNet Buying
ASH
ASHLAND INC
$3.34B45,793,3700.11%47.63%Net BuyingNet Buying
BCPC
BALCHEM CORP
$5.47B31,878,0210.09%2.47%Net Selling
MTX
MINERALS TECHNOLOGIES INC
$2.23B31,128,7620.10%4.12%Net Selling
DD
DUPONT DE NEMOURS INC
$17.77B135,042,9750.07%4.98%Net SellingNet Buying
SOLS
SOLSTICE ADVANCED MATERIALS INC
$10.12B158,847,3690.08%0.04%Net SellingNet Selling
SHW
SHERWIN WILLIAMS CO
$81.01B242,758,1510.08%1.38%Net SellingNet Selling
CMT
CORE MOLDING TECHNOLOGIES INC
$213.44M8,849,0340.07%27.53%Net SellingNet Selling
APD
AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICALS INC
$67.09B222,685,5300.09%0.91%Net Selling
OEC
ORION SA
$344.22M56,522,6990.09%6.68%Net Selling
ECL
ECOLAB INC
$78.29B280,328,6030.08%34.78%Net SellingNet Selling
WLK
WESTLAKE CORP
$9.56B127,796,5480.00%100.00%Net SellingNet Buying
HWKN
HAWKINS INC
$2.70B20,875,1170.08%12.50%Net SellingNet Buying
PRM
PERIMETER SOLUTIONS INC
$5.20B163,686,9230.09%33.58%Net SellingNet Selling
CC
CHEMOURS CO
$2.30B150,498,9950.09%3.12%Net SellingNet Buying
LIN
LINDE PLC
$220.15B460,980,1630.09%0.29%Net SellingNet Selling
IFF
INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC
$22.03B255,149,9630.11%27.65%Net BuyingNet Selling
HDSN
HUDSON TECHNOLOGIES INC
$225.17M42,088,5470.08%88.81%Net SellingNet Buying
GEVO
GEVO INC
$405.47M247,237,1040.04%12.57%Net SellingNet Selling
FEAM
5E ADVANCED MATERIALS INC
$64.76M41,515,2230.05%93.65%Net BuyingNet Selling
STDN
STANDARD NUCLEAR INC
$2.30B156,550,7550.00%100.00%Net BuyingNet Buying
LWLG
LIGHTWAVE LOGIC INC
$824.79M154,167,2550.04%16.84%Net Selling
OLN
OLIN CORP
$1.98B113,982,4900.10%24.23%Net SellingNet Selling
LOOP
LOOP INDUSTRIES INC
$23.08M48,380,3710.00%100.00%Net BuyingNet Buying
CNEY
CN ENERGY GROUP INC
$2.98M5,623,7560.00%11.23%
YMAT
J-STAR HOLDING CO LTD
$6.78M4,010,1040.00%100.00%
SNES
SENESTECH INC
$5.42M5,423,5420.01%99.99%Net BuyingNet Buying
BGLC
BIONEXUS GENE LAB CORP
$4.25M2,933,4420.00%100.00%
ESI
ELEMENT SOLUTIONS INC
$8.78B243,690,9140.10%14.55%Net Selling
CITR
CITROTECH INC
$118.41M22,553,4740.01%39.74%Net BuyingNet Selling
NTIC
NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORP
$75.88M9,496,4390.02%99.98%Net BuyingNet Buying
FSI
FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL INC
$73.57M12,772,4980.01%50.38%Net Selling

Specialty Chemical Stocks FAQ

What are the best specialty chemical stocks to buy right now in Sep 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: B, Sentiment: C, 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 77.57% over the past year, overperforming other specialty chemical stocks by 74 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. Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO)


Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) 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 Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) is: Value: C, Growth: A, Momentum: B, Sentiment: A, Safety: B, Financials: C, and AI: A.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) has a Due Diligence Score of 20, which is -12 points lower than the specialty chemical industry average of 32. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates KRO as a "A".

KRO passed 7 out of 38 due diligence checks and has weak fundamentals. Kronos Worldwide has seen its stock return 37.75% over the past year, overperforming other specialty chemical stocks by 34 percentage points.

Kronos Worldwide has an average 1 year price target of $9.00, an upside of 6.76% from Kronos Worldwide's current stock price of $8.43.

Kronos Worldwide stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 1 analyst covering Kronos Worldwide, 100% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 0% 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: B, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: B, 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 251.3% over the past year, overperforming other specialty chemical stocks by 248 percentage points.

Alto Ingredients has an average 1 year price target of $10.00, an upside of 147.52% from Alto Ingredients's current stock price of $4.04.

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 5.42%, which is 4 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 4.71%, 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 4.61%, which is 3 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 down?

Specialty chemical stocks were down -0.46% in the last day, and down -2.25% over the last week.

We couldn't find a catalyst for why specialty chemical stocks are down.

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 B. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile has a valuation score of 29, which is 2 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 27. It passed 2 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile's stock has gained 72.68% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the specialty chemical industry by 69 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 57, which is 30 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 27. It passed 4 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Fuller H B Co's stock has dropped -12.07% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the specialty chemical industry by -16 percentage points.

3. Lyondellbasell Industries Nv (NYSE:LYB)


Lyondellbasell Industries Nv (NYSE:LYB) 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.

Lyondellbasell Industries Nv has a valuation score of 14, which is -13 points higher than the specialty chemical industry average of 27. 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 16.98% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the specialty chemical industry by 14 percentage points.

Are specialty chemical stocks a good buy now?

46.51% of specialty chemical stocks rated by analysts are a buy right now. On average, analysts expect specialty chemical stocks to rise by 22.21% over the next year.

14.29% of specialty chemical stocks have a Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy), 26.53% of specialty chemical stocks are rated B (Buy), 44.9% are rated C (Hold), 10.2% 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 -93.5x.
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