Basic Material Summary: Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE:CLF) Stock Touches new Heights, Nexen (NYSE:NXY) Rallies on Takeover Deal

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE:CLF) stock were the best performers on the S&P 500 Index SPX after mining firm last week valued $500 million in senior notes due 2018.

The total return from the issuance of the senior notes are predicted to be used to pay back Cliffs private placement senior notes due in 2013 and 2015, along with for general corporate tasks, the firm reported in a statement.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (NYSE:CLF) added +4.57% with the closing price of $30.86. The overall volume in the last trading session was 8.73 million shares. Its fifty two week range was $28.05-$78.85. The total market capitalization remained $4.40 billion.

CLF is ahead of its 52 week low with 10.02% and its last month’s price volatility remained 4.99%. Its beta coefficient was 2.38 with a target price of $46.06. Company’s current year earnings per share grew with 54.55% while the five years EPS growth rate was +34.90%.

US-registered shares of Canada’s Nexen (NYSE:NXY) ticked up on Monday trading session. The stock, which had declined last week on doubts that the country would not accept an agreement with China’s Cnooc Ltd. (NYSE:CEO), jumped back following Ottawa did accept the deal.

The Chinese acquisition of the company that operates in the Canadian oil sands would be China’s largest ever foreign takeover.

In last trading session, Nexen Inc. (USA) (NYSE:NXY) jumped +13.82% and closed at $26.77with the total traded volume of 77.17 million shares more than the average volume of 9.67 million. Stock’s 52 weeks high price was $26.98 and 52 weeks low price was $13.63.

CNOOC Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CEO) moved up +0.23% and closed at $217.29 with the total traded volume of 101,099.00 shares in last trading session. Its fifty two week range was $170.70-$234.00. The total market capitalization remained $97.01 billion.

The price of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE:ANR) moved up 9.77% and finished the day at $9.10 on above average volume. The day started out with a lower opening price of $8.27 versus prior close of $8.29. The total number of shares traded on the latest trading day was about 28.22 million shares, and changed hands at average prices of $8.14 to $9.24 apiece. The shares declined about -55.46% since the start of 2012 and has a 31.88% gain in last three months. Narrowing down the performance period, the stock rose 11.66% for the month and a 24.49% gain over the week.

With the latest rise of 1.07%, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (NYSE:FCX) now has YTD performance -10.08% which for the week is negative at -16.56%. FCX pays a dividend yield of 3.90%. The company will report lower sales for the Quarter ending Dec-12, according to 11 analysts polled by Reuters. On average, they believe sales will arrive at $4,630.16 from $6,080.52 posted in the same quarter last year. The average sales forecast of 16 analysts for the full-year is $18,307.30, down as compared to $21,338.40 annual sales a year ago.