Miller Energy Resources (MILL) is Top Materials Small-Cap Star for April 7 Morning Session

Small-cap materials stocks offer a distinctive risk profile, one tied to some unpredictable market factors. That's why equities.com's Small-Cap Stars, our proprietary list of those small-cap materials companies offering a promising profile of fundamentals, gives you another method for finding those companies most likely to make the best of the market they're in.

Here's a look at the five top-performing basic materials Small-Cap Stars as of noon on the east coast:

Miller Energy Resources (MILL)

Miller Energy Resources gained 15.38% to $1.14 in morning trading today. Volume reached 1,680,980 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 629,820 shares. Miller Energy Resources has a 52-week high of $6.60 and a 52-week low of $0.62, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $1.37 and $3.13 respectively.

Miller Energy Resources Inc operates as an exploration and production company that utilizes seismic data and other technologies for geophysical exploration and development of oil and gas wells.

Goodrich Petroleum Corp. (GDP)

Goodrich Petroleum Corp. gained 6.17% to $3.96 in morning trading today. Volume reached 1,537,030 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 3,831,229 shares. Goodrich Petroleum Corp. has a 52-week high of $30.52 and a 52-week low of $2.35, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $3.37 and $11.05 respectively.

Goodrich Petroleum Corp is an independent oil & natural gas company engaged in the exploration, development & production of oil & natural gas on properties in South Texas, Northwest Louisiana & East Texas & Southwest Mississippi & Southeast Louisiana.

Parker Drilling Co. (PKD)

Parker Drilling Co. gained 5% to $3.89 in morning trading today. Volume reached 290,971 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 645,846 shares. Parker Drilling Co. has a 52-week high of $7.18 and a 52-week low of $2.51, its P/E ratio is 19.5, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $3.21 and $4.47 respectively.

Parker Drilling Co provides contract drilling and drilling-related services and rental tools. Its business segments include Rental Tools, U.S. Barge Drilling, U.S. Drilling, International Drilling, and Technical Services.

Gastar Exploration (GST)

Gastar Exploration gained 5% to $2.94 in morning trading today. Volume reached 380,889 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 756,316 shares. Gastar Exploration has a 52-week high of $9.10 and a 52-week low of $1.89, its P/E ratio is 5.1, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $2.72 and $4.70 respectively.

Gastar Exploration Inc is an independent energy company. It is engaged in the exploration, development and production of oil, condensate, natural gas and NGLs in the US.

Gevo Inc. (GEVO)

Gevo Inc. gained 4.71% to $0.22 in morning trading today. Volume reached 1,516,360 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 3,879,755 shares. Gevo Inc. has a 52-week high of $1.34 and a 52-week low of $0.12, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $0.23 and $0.40 respectively.

Gevo Inc is a renewable chemicals and biofuels company. It is engaged in the development and commercialization of alternatives to petroleum-based products based on isobutanol produced from renewable feedstocks.

Equities.com's Small-Cap Stars - What a Solid Portfolio is Made Of

Small-cap materials stocks can be a tricky game to play, one where macroeconomic trends and fickle commodities prices can play a big role. The best plan of attack is usually to identify a successful, repeatable system for identifying strong companies and then just sticking to it. That's what the Small-Cap Stars does. By using a complex statistical regression to compare previously successful small-cap materials companies, the system can create a profile of fundamental metrics that should be predictive of future success and then grade current companies on how closely they resemble that model.

Among the metrics we found to have the strongest indication of future growth were a low ratio of enterprise value to sales, a low effective tax rate, and a high ROE-cost of equity.

All data provided by QuoteMedia and was accurate as of 12:00 pm ET.