December 19, 2025 05:23 AM seekingalpha.com Positive

ArcelorMittal is the top steel stock in terms of YTD performance

AMR CLF CMC FXZ GGB HCC IYM MT MXI NUE PKX RS RSPM SID SIM STLD TX VALE VAW XLB

[Headquarters of ArcelorMittal France]
HJBC

As 2025 draws to a close, Wall Street has observed another strong year of gains across most sectors.

The materials sector hasn't flown as high as its peers, but it is still +7.37% YTD. Its accompanying State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/XLB]) is also +7.37% YTD.

Seeking Alpha took a look at the materials subsector that covers steel companies and identified the top YTD performers. ArcelorMittal (MT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MT]) grabbed the number one spot with a nearly +96% advance.

Here is the list:

* ArcelorMittal (MT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MT]), Quant Rating: 4.28; YTD performance: +95.5%.
* Warrior Met Coal (HCC [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/HCC]), Quant Rating: 3.40; YTD performance: +56.5%.
* Steel Dynamics (STLD [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/STLD]), Quant Rating: 2.95; YTD performance: +51.4%.
* Vale (VALE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/VALE]), Quant Rating: 3.47; YTD performance: +44.2%.
* Commercial Metals (CMC [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CMC]), Quant Rating: 4.73; YTD performance: +41.1%.
* Nucor (NUE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/NUE]), Quant Rating: 2.93; YTD performance: +37.7%.
* Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CLF]), Quant Rating: 3.05; YTD performance: +37.6%.
* Ternium (TX [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TX]), Quant Rating: 3.60; YTD performance: +32.3%.
* Gerdau (GGB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/GGB]), Quant Rating: 3.02; YTD performance: +27.4%.
* POSCO (PKX [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PKX]), Quant Rating: 2.96; YTD performance: +22%.
* Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (SID [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SID]), Quant Rating: 3.36; YTD performance: +20.1%.
* Reliance (RS [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/RS]), Quant Rating: 2.63; YTD performance: +10.6%.
* Grupo Simec (SIM [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SIM]), Quant Rating: Not Covered; YTD performance: +5.8%.
* Alpha Metallurgical Resources (AMR [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/AMR]), Quant Rating: 2.92; YTD performance: -0.9%.

Here are some materials-focused exchange-traded funds: (XLB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/XLB]), (VAW [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/VAW]), (IYM [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/IYM]), (FXZ [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/FXZ]), (MXI [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MXI]), (RSPM [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/RSPM]).

MORE ON THE MATERIALS SECTOR

* Basic Materials Sector To Outperform In 2026 While Energy Lags [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4853363-basic-materials-sector-to-outperform-in-2026-while-energy-lags]
* IYM: Materials Dashboard For December [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4853350-iym-materials-dashboard-december]
* MXI: Materials Dashboard For November [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4844347-mxi-materials-dashboard-for-november]
* Top YTD best-performing silver and paper product companies [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4533194-top-ytd-best-performing-silver-and-paper-product-companies]
* Hawkins tops the struggling commodity chemical industry in 2025 [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4532977-hawkins-tops-the-struggling-commodity-chemical-industry-in-2025]