The basic materials sector is often overlooked by many investors. Cyclical in its stock movements, many investors ignore the segment as being too small or not right for their investing acumen. Within the 11 industrial segments, basic materials comprise the smallest sector exposure in the S&P 500 (SPY) with a 2.7% sector weighting. Within an equal weighted portfolio, basic materials should comprise a 9.1% sector weighting. If you managed a $1 million equity portfolio, the basic materials sector allocation would contain a minimum of $27,000 to mirror the overall SPY weighting. Over the