Miller Energy Resources (MILL) is Top Materials Small-Cap Star for April 14 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 11.37% to $1.06 in morning trading today. Volume reached 629,954 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 738,423 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 $3.02 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.

Triangle Petroleum (TPLM)

Triangle Petroleum gained 8.94% to $6.28 in morning trading today. Volume reached 2,178,600 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 1,238,480 shares. Triangle Petroleum has a 52-week high of $12.48 and a 52-week low of $3.10, its P/E ratio is 8.5, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $5.25 and $7.72 respectively.

Triangle Petroleum Corp is an independent energy holding company. It has three main lines of business: oil and natural gas exploration, development and production; oilfield services; and midstream services.

Parker Drilling Co. (PKD)

Parker Drilling Co. gained 4.63% to $4.19 in morning trading today. Volume reached 453,769 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 637,716 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 21.1, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $3.33 and $4.40 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.

Rentech Nitrogen Partners (RNF)

Rentech Nitrogen Partners gained 4.28% to $14.85 in morning trading today. Volume reached 23,175 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 106,549 shares. Rentech Nitrogen Partners has a 52-week high of $18.75 and a 52-week low of $8.75, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $13.94 and $12.93 respectively.

Rentech Nitrogen Partners LP is a nitrogen fertilizer manufacturer. The Company produces ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate solution, or UAN.

Synergy Resources Corp (SYRG)

Synergy Resources Corp gained 3.4% to $12.18 in morning trading today. Volume reached 400,053 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 1,450,173 shares. Synergy Resources Corp has a 52-week high of $14.11 and a 52-week low of $8.05, its P/E ratio is 22.7, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $11.73 and $11.92 respectively.

Synergy Resources Corp is an oil & natural gas company. It is engaged in the acquisition, development, exploitation, exploration and production of oil and natural gas properties located in the Denver-Julesburg Basin in northeast Colorado.

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.