Linde (LIN -2.50%) is the top materials company by market cap, well ahead of BHP Group (BHP +0.78%) and Southern Copper (SCCO +5.58%). Mining companies make up more than half of the largest materials companies, but there are also chemical companies and suppliers of construction materials on the list.
Largest companies by market cap in the materials sector
(Editor's note: Rankings are as of Feb. 5, 2026.)
1. Linde
- Market cap: $215.55 billion (as of Feb. 5)
- Revenue (TTM): $33.5 billion
- Gross profit (TTM): $16.3 billion
- Five-year annualized return: 14.53%
- Year founded: 1879
TTM = trailing 12 months.
NASDAQ: LIN
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Linde is a chemicals company founded by German scientist Carl von Linde. It operates in more than 80 countries, and its two main business segments are gases and engineering. Linde manufactures industrial and medical gases and builds large-scale chemical plants.
This company is investing heavily in clean energy projects. In 2023, Linde announced plans to invest as much as $50 billion in clean energy projects over the next decade. It's also expanding, finishing its acquisition in September 2025 of Airtec, one of the largest industrial gas companies in the Middle East.
2. BHP Group
- Market cap: $177.51 billion (as of Feb. 5)
- Revenue (TTM): $51.3 billion
- Gross profit (TTM): $36.7 billion
- Five-year annualized return: 11.14%
- Year founded: 1885
NYSE: BHP
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BHP Group is a mining company based in Melbourne, Australia, with a focus on copper, iron ore, nickel, metallurgical coal, and potash. It operates in more than 90 locations, including in the U.S., Canada, and Chile.
BHP has set several sustainability targets for 2030, including at least a 30% reduction in operational greenhouse gases. However, it reportedly got rid of some renewable energy projects in 2024 due to budget cuts.
3. Southern Copper
- Market cap: $155.19 billion (as of Feb. 5)
- Revenue (TTM): $13.4 billion
- Gross profit (TTM): $7.2 billion
- Five-year annualized return: 29.21%
- Year founded: 1952 (Southern Peru Copper Corporation), 2005 (merger with Minera Mexico)
NYSE: SCCO
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Southern Copper is a mining company that produces copper and other metal byproducts. It ranks first for copper production in Mexico and Peru, third in the U.S., and fourth worldwide. It also has the world's largest copper reserves. In 2024, the company resumed development of its Tia Maria mine in Peru, despite considerable opposition to the project due to environmental concerns.
4. Rio Tinto Group
- Market cap: $121.0 billion (as of Feb. 5)
- Revenue (TTM): $53.7 billion
- Gross profit (TTM): $14.9 billion (as of Dec. 31, 2025)
- Five-year annualized return: 13.11%
- Year founded: 1873
NYSE: RIO
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NYSE: NEM
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Newmont (NEM +6.20%) is the world's leading gold mining company. It also produces copper, silver, zinc, and lead. For its 2024 fiscal year, Newmont reported attributable gold production of 6.85 million ounces. Newmont has made multiple major acquisitions in recent years. It acquired Goldcorp for $10 billion in 2019 and Newcrest Mining for $16.8 billion in 2023.
6. L'Air Liquide
- Market cap: $114.18 billion (as of Feb. 5)
- Revenue (TTM): $32.3 billion*
- Gross profit (TTM): $20.4 billion*
- Five-year annualized return: 5.92%
- Year founded: 1902
*Converted from euros.
NYSE: AEM
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Agnico Eagle (AEM +3.89%) is a Canadian-based company that mines precious metals. It's Canada's largest mining operation and the world's second-largest gold producer. In addition to its home country, Agnico Eagle also has operations in Australia, Finland, and Mexico.
Gold production for Agnico Eagle reached almost 3.5 million ounces in 2024. It also mined almost 2.5 million ounces of silver.
8. Sherwin-Williams
- Market cap: $90.02 billion (as of Feb. 5)
- Revenue (TTM): $23.6 billion
- Gross profit (TTM): $12.1 billion
- Five-year annualized return: 10.06%
- Year founded: 1866
NYSE: SHW
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Sherwin-Williams (SHW +0.22%) is a familiar name for anyone who has gone shopping for paint. In 2024, it was the world's leading paint company by revenue. Its products are sold through more than 5,000 company-operated stores, and it has a market presence in over 120 countries.
Sherwin-Williams has had its share of controversies. It was one of three paint companies that agreed in 2019 to pay $305 million in fines for lead paint hazards in California, and it has also been fined for violating hazardous waste regulations.
9. Freeport-McMoRan
- Market cap: $85.04 billion (as of Feb. 5)
- Revenue (TTM): $25.9 billion
- Gross profit (TTM): $7.3 billion
- Five-year annualized return: 15.87%
- Year founded: 1912
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX +2.45%), also known as FCX, is an international mining company that focuses on copper. It also produces gold and is the world's largest producer of molybdenum. It has mines in North America, South America, and Indonesia.
This company has received criticism for alleged safety issues, human rights abuses, and the amount of waste its mines produce. Its Grasberg Mine in Indonesia, while one of the richest mining operations in the world, has also caused environmental damage and floods in the area.
10. Ecolab
- Market cap: $81.45 billion (as of Feb. 5)
- Revenue (TTM): $15.9 billion
- Gross profit (TTM): $7.0 billion
- Five-year annualized return: 7.42%
- Year founded: 1923
NYSE: ECL
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About the Author
Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends BHP Group, Ecolab, Linde, and Sherwin-Williams. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
