Fisher Investments is a respected investment management company which serves the needs of investors demanding superior performance, low fees and exceptional service.?With over [...] billion under management, its clients include Fortune 500 companies, foundations and endowments, as well as thousands of high net worth investors. Unlike many money management firms who typically have little contact with individual investors, Fisher Investments' Private Client Group was specifically created to allow?the investment management company to deliver institutional-level capabilities to high net worth individuals.

Brad W. Pyles (San Francisco, California) graduated from UCLA with a BA in Business Economics and a Minor in Mathematics. He regularly presents to audiences at investing seminars across the country and currently works as a Research Analyst at Fisher Investments with a focus on Materials and macroeconomic strategy.?Originally from Honolulu, he now lives in San Francisco with his wife. He has been with Fisher Investments since 2001.

Andrew S. Teufel (Woodside, CA) is Co-President and Director of Research at Fisher Investments. He has been with Fisher Investments since 1995 and has been a member of the Investment Policy Committee since 1996. He is responsible for the supervision of the firm's research department. Prior to joining the firm, he worked at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. as a Corporate Finance Analyst in its Global Technology Group.

Foreword ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

Part I Getting Started in Materials 1

Chapter 1 Materials Basics 3

Materials 101 4

Commodity Pricing Basics 9

The Production Process 13

Chapter 2 A Brief History of Materials 29

The Industrial Revolution 29

Structural Shifts in Metals Since the Industrial Revolution 33

Industrialization of the Emerging Markets 37

Chapter 3 Materials Sector Drivers 41

Key Drivers 42

Drivers at Work 46

Case Study: Copper 51

Part II Next Steps: Materials Details 63

Chapter 4 Materials Sector Breakdown 65

Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) 66

Global Materials Benchmarks 67

Metals & Mining Industry 74

Chemicals 88

Construction Materials 96

Paper & Forest Products 96

Containers & Packaging 98

Chapter 5 Staying Current: Tracking Sector Fundamentals 101

What to Watch 102

Chapter 6 Case Study: The 2003 to 2007

Bull Market in Materials 117

The Backdrop 119

Demand Growth 120

Supply Constraints 130

The Growth of Mergers and Acquisitions 136

Part III Thinking Like a Portfolio Manager 139

Chapter 7 The Top-Down Method 141

Investing is a Science 141

The Top-Down Method 144

Top-Down Deconstructed 150

Managing Against a Materials Benchmark 157

Chapter 8 Security Analysis 163

Make Your Selection 164

A Five-Step Process 165

Important Questions to Ask 173

Chapter 9 Materialize Your Portfolio: Investing Strategies 181

Strategy 1: Adding Value at the Industry and Sub-industry Level 182

Strategy 2: Adding Value at the Security Level 189

Strategy 3: Adding Value in a Materials Sector Downturn 190

Strategy 4: Investing in Commodities 191

Appendix A: Materials Sector Resources 195

Appendix B: Top 10 Materials Firms by Industry 199

Notes 203

Glossary 217

About the Authors 223

Index 225