8 out of 9 S&P 500 materials stocks deliver EPS wins this week: Earnings Scorecard

In a relatively busy week of earnings, nine materials stocks that belong to the S&P 500 Materials Sector (NYSEARCA:XLB) reported their second-quarter results. QTD, XLB has climbed 3.4% compared to a 1.3% drop in the SPY.

There are several basic materials sub-sectors, including chemical products, metals and mining, and forestry products, and each has been in focus owing to their relative demand and supply situation, as global growth remains uneven on the back of ongoing geopolitical concerns, shipping disruptions, and elevated interest rates.