The building materials industry is an important supplier to the construction sector and to industry. It includes the manufacture of glass and glassware, ceramic products, as well as products made of clay, concrete, cement, and gypsum, with the product range extending from raw materials to finished goods.
This sector can be highly cyclical, giving investors cause for caution. Various Building Materials subsectors do not always move in synch with each other. Investors should note the specific end markets that each company serves. There are a number of subsectors, some mature, others growing. The group is fragmented, but there are companies that dominate certain niches.