Profire Energy Inc (PFIE) is Top Materials Small-Cap Star for April 15 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:

Profire Energy Inc ($PFIE)

Profire Energy Inc gained 9.6% to $1.37 in morning trading today. Volume reached 219,526 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 320,947 shares. Profire Energy Inc has a 52-week high of $5.89 and a 52-week low of $1.10, its P/E ratio is 9.6, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $1.89 and $3.13 respectively.

Profire Energy Inc is engaged in the business of developing combustion management technologies for the oil and gas industry. It manufactures, installs and services oilfield combustion management technologies and related products.

Miller Energy Resources ($MILL)

Miller Energy Resources gained 6.94% to $1.08 in morning trading today. Volume reached 628,410 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 765,603 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 $1.36 and $3.00 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.

Gastar Exploration ($GST)

Gastar Exploration gained 6.89% to $3.26 in morning trading today. Volume reached 816,050 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 707,419 shares. Gastar Exploration has a 52-week high of $9.10 and a 52-week low of $1.89, its P/E ratio is 5.5, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $2.78 and $4.53 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.

Parker Drilling Co. ($PKD)

Parker Drilling Co. gained 5.54% to $4.38 in morning trading today. Volume reached 287,926 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 638,156 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 21.8, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $3.36 and $4.39 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.

Westmoreland Coal Company ($WLB)

Westmoreland Coal Company gained 5.31% to $29.93 in morning trading today. Volume reached 44,459 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 145,660 shares. Westmoreland Coal Company has a 52-week high of $45.19 and a 52-week low of $23.13, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $27.62 and $34.61 respectively.

Westmoreland Coal Co is an energy company. The Company's main activities are the production and sale of coal from its mines in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and Texas; and the ownership of power plants in North Carolina.

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.