The strongest performing Chemicals company in Illinois was CF Industries Holdings Inc. (CF:NYQ), sitting 33.7 percent higher to sell at $95.72.
Stepan Co. (SCL:NYQ) fared the worst among Illinois companies, suffering a 73.9 percent drop to $111.86.
Among Downers Grove companies, Univar Solutions Inc. (UNVR:NYQ) saw the highest rise in value of 6.1 percent in May.
The Telecommunications Service Providers industry was the month’s best-performing industry on the market. The market is divided into 42 different industries.
Precious Metals and Mining was the worst-performing industry.
Healthcare and technology stocks are viewed as the safest bets for long-term gains.
Besty Kuekcer with Benzinga.com said healthcare-related stocks, such as hospital conglomerates and insurance companies, have weathered numerous economic crises and still make a profit, suggesting that they are generally a stable investment.
While technology stocks can be more risky, given the boom-bust nature of new tech companies, Kuecker recommended a diverse portfolio of tech companies to strike it big when companies succeed or sell to other larger companies.
For short-term investments, Kuecker recommended “consumer discretionary” stocks, which are sensitive to economic changes but can rise greatly on the back of a strong economy.
Nothing in this article is to be assumed as financial advice.
| Industry | Percentage Change | Highest Positive Change | Largest Negative Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Service Providers | 13.4% | 3,502.9% | -77.2% |
| Oil, Gas and Coal | 13.2% | 2,519.3% | -79.1% |
| Alternative Energy | 8.8% | 209.3% | -63.9% |
| Electricity | 6% | 225.7% | -77.5% |
| Non-life Insurance | 5.8% | 299.9% | -90.5% |
| Chemicals | 5.5% | 815.7% | -90.2% |
| Life Insurance | 5.1% | 1,070.4% | -64.4% |
| Leisure Goods | 4.6% | 595.5% | -77.6% |
| Gas, Water and Multi-utilities | 4.4% | 1,495.1% | -91% |
| Automobiles and Parts | 4.1% | 1,985.7% | -85.2% |
| Construction and Materials | 3.5% | 21,490.9% | -87.8% |
| General Industrials | 3.3% | 353.9% | -85.8% |
| Tobacco | 3.1% | 1,011.2% | -99.3% |
| Industrial Materials | 3.1% | 775.7% | -83.4% |
| Technology Hardware and Equipment | 3% | 556.1% | -75.4% |
| Consumer Services | 2.7% | 910.2% | -98.9% |
| Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trusts | 2.6% | 246.3% | -99.5% |
| Industrial Engineering | 2.6% | 982.7% | -77.4% |
| Household Goods and Home Construction | 2.3% | 1,409.1% | -87% |
| Industrial Transportation | 1% | 160.4% | -87.2% |
| Investment Banking and Brokerage Services | 0.8% | 29,714.8% | -99.9% |
| Aerospace and Defense | 0.8% | 10,173.7% | -76.5% |
| Health Care Providers | 0.6% | 834.9% | -91% |
| Banks | 0.5% | 4,039.8% | -99.2% |
| Medical Equipment and Services | 0.3% | 8,239.9% | -96.4% |
| Industrial Metals and Mining | 0.1% | 292.6% | -91.5% |
| Electronic and Electrical Equipment | -0.4% | 5,398% | -91.2% |
| Open End and Miscellaneous Investment Vehicles | -0.6% | 49,587,953.6% | -99.9% |
| Retailers | -0.6% | 1,310% | -99.4% |
| Industrial Support Services | -0.8% | 604.9% | -92.3% |
| Media | -1.2% | 700.1% | -99.5% |
| Telecommunications Equipment | -1.3% | 558.4% | -94.8% |
| Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology | -2.3% | 155,777.2% | -99.5% |
| Personal Care, Drug and Grocery Stores | -2.7% | 171.4% | -91% |
| Travel and Leisure | -2.8% | 3,428% | -90.8% |
| Personal Goods | -2.8% | 232.8% | -97.5% |
| Waste and Disposal Services | -3.1% | 150.7% | -75% |
| Real Estate Investment and Services | -3.7% | 16,992.5% | -96.7% |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts | -3.7% | 251.5% | -91.3% |
| Software and Computer Services | -4.2% | 3,197% | -98.7% |
| Finance and Credit Services | -4.3% | 1,380.9% | -72% |
| Precious Metals and Mining | -5.3% | 90.4% | -81.3% |
Alerts Sign-up