How to invest in the materials sector using ETFs

With sector ETFs, you invest in a specific part of the economy, for example in the materials sector. The most widely used standard in the financial industry for dividing the economy into sectors is the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). The major index providers MSCI and S&P use this standard consisting of 11 sectors and 68 assigned industries.

For the classification of listed companies in each sector, the index providers analyse in which business segment companies are generating the majority of their sales and profits. Additionally, the positioning and public perception of a company are also taken into account.

How do I invest in the materials sector?

An industry or sector index consists of all the companies of a certain sector starting from a parent index. For example, the MSCI World Materials index tracks all companies from the materials sector that are included in the MSCI World. A global materials ETF thus gives you the opportunity to invest in the largest companies from the materials sector worldwide.

Sector ETFs of this type should not be mixed up with thematic ETFs. Thematic ETFs track a non-standardised industry group and a specific investment theme. We provide you with an overview of the available thematic ETFs here.
   

Which companies are included in materials ETFs?

The materials sector includes companies that produce chemicals, construction materials, glass, paper, agricultural products, wood, packaging and steel. Mining companies that exploit metals and minerals are also included. Thematic ETFs are available for some sub-sectors of the basic materials sector. For example, forestry ETFs and gold mining ETFs track specific segments of the materials sector.

In this investment guide, you will find all ETFs that allow you to invest globally in companies from the materials sector. For a performance comparison of the various ETF sectors, please have a look at our market overview. In the table below we have listed the currently available materials ETFs. Via the "Properties" and "Performance" tabs, you can find detailed information on these ETFs and sort them according to your desired criterion. More information about the different criteria when choosing an ETF can be found in our article on ETF selection.
 

• Properties
• Performance

Source: justETF.com; As of 31-03-2026