Miller Energy Resources (MILL) is Top Materials Small-Cap Star for April 6 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 35.01% to $1.01 in morning trading today. Volume reached 1,250,530 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 586,215 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 $3.15 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.

Gevo Inc. (GEVO)

Gevo Inc. gained 11.83% to $0.21 in morning trading today. Volume reached 1,536,790 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 4,041,383 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 $0.41 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.

Triangle Petroleum (TPLM)

Triangle Petroleum gained 5.43% to $5.63 in morning trading today. Volume reached 550,944 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 1,273,950 shares. Triangle Petroleum has a 52-week high of $12.48 and a 52-week low of $3.10, its P/E ratio is 7.9, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $5.21 and $7.90 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.

Goodrich Petroleum Corp. (GDP)

Goodrich Petroleum Corp. gained 4.63% to $3.73 in morning trading today. Volume reached 1,241,230 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 3,867,447 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 $3.35 and $11.18 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.

Eagle Rock Energy Partners Lp Unit Ltd Partnership Int (EROC)

Eagle Rock Energy Partners Lp Unit Ltd Partnership Int gained 4.24% to $2.46 in morning trading today. Volume reached 145,452 by noon. The stock's average daily volume is 370,278 shares. Eagle Rock Energy Partners Lp Unit Ltd Partnership Int has a 52-week high of $5.25 and a 52-week low of $1.78, and its 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA are $2.46 and $3.20 respectively.

Eagle Rock Energy Partners LP is engaged in exploitation, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties. It is also engaged in gathering, compressing, treating, processing and marketing services of natural gas and natural gas liquids.

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.