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FF beta and relative strength

FutureFuel Corp

FF is strengthening above benchmark with lower sensitivity to SPY.

Week ending Latest completed weekly edition
Next update 15:40 UK ยท after Stage Analysis
One-year beta 0.54Lower sensitivity ยท Stable
Movement explained 1%12% weekly correlation
Relative strength+26.45Strengthening above benchmark
Downside beta 0.22Upside beta 1.28
One-year excess return+31.0%50.9% stock ยท 20.0% benchmark
Directional participation

FF in rising and falling SPY weeks

These percentages count what actually happened in completed weeks. They describe historical participation, not certainty about the next move.

Latest 52-week reading Directional participation is mixed

The stock sometimes follows the benchmark, but neither direction has been consistently dependable.

56% of directional weeks moved the same way.
When SPY rose61%

FF also rose in 61% of 31 rising benchmark weeks.

When SPY fell43%

FF also fell in 43% of 21 falling benchmark weeks.

Market state now Range-bound market with normal movement
+3.0% over 13 weeks12.5% volatility

After 17 earlier matches by direction and movement level, directional participation is mixed.

Joined rising weeks55%
Joined falling weeks50%
Limited sample ยท 53% same-direction rate ยท 0.48 beta
Benchmark fit

FF sensitivity to SPY

The benchmark relationship is weak and explains 1% of weekly movement over the latest year. Current beta is 0.54 and is stable.

Likely beta range-0.73 to 1.81

A wider range means the beta estimate is less precise.

Beta stability74/100

How consistently rolling beta has held its level and direction.

Annualised alpha+47.2%

The weekly regression intercept annualised; it is historical, not expected return.

Tracking error56.0%

Annualised volatility of returns above or below the benchmark.

Relationship directionRelationship broadly stable

-5.2 point change in movement explained across two distinct 26-week windows.

Beta and benchmark fitBeta is secondary evidence only
Weaker benchmark fitStronger benchmark fitLower sensitivityHigher sensitivity

The benchmark fit is too weak for the headline beta to be treated as a dependable description on its own.

Historical one-week sensitivity
If SPY rises 1%+1.28%historically associated FF move
If SPY falls 1%-0.22%historically associated FF move
Likely beta range -0.73 to 1.81 ยท width 2.54
Can the beta be trusted?Weak relationship
Movement explained1%
Stability74%
Directional agreement56%

Rolling beta

26-week estimates show whether market sensitivity is rising or falling.

Move across the chart to inspect a completed week.
Rolling betaMarket-like beta 1.00

Rolling relationship strength

Correlation shows direction; explained movement shows how useful the relationship has been.

Move across the chart to inspect a completed week.
CorrelationMovement explained
PeriodBetaCorrelationMovement explainedAlphaExcess returnTracking error
6 months0.347%0%+70.4%+18.8%69.8%
1 year0.5412%1%+47.2%+31.0%56.0%
2 years0.7926%7%-3.6%-40.3%44.7%
3 years0.8826%7%+1.1%-54.2%46.8%
5 years0.8629%9%+3.4%-63.3%45.7%
Relative strength

FF relative strength against SPY

The score compares the stock/benchmark ratio with its trailing 52-week average. Above zero means the ratio is above trend; direction shows whether that advantage is building or fading.

Relative-strength trend

Current score 26.45 ยท 13-week change +29.64

Move across the chart to inspect a completed week.
Relative strengthZero baseline

Stock, benchmark and worthwhile peers

Each path starts at 100. Sector and industry appear only when their Market Structure indexes have enough constituents.

Move across the chart to inspect a completed week.
Sector ยท Basic Materials+35.6 points

versus sector over 13 weeks ยท 224 constituents ยท 40% correlation

Industry ยท Specialty Chemicals+36.3 points

versus industry over 13 weeks ยท 56 constituents ยท 49% correlation

Sensitivity to Basic Materials0.88 beta

16% of weekly movement explained by the sector over one year.

Sensitivity to Specialty Chemicals1.44 beta

24% of weekly movement explained by the industry over one year.

Return components

13-week and 52-week returns relative to SPY

This is a return bridge, not a claim of cause. It starts with the benchmark return, then shows the difference added at sector, industry and ticker level.

Last 13 weeks+32.3 points vs benchmark
Broad market+3.0%
Sector difference-3.3%
Industry difference-0.7%
Ticker difference+36.3%

The largest source of relative strength was the ticker difference. FF returned 35.3%; SPY returned 3.0%.

Last 52 weeks+31.0 points vs benchmark
Broad market+20.0%
Sector difference+5.7%
Industry difference-14.9%
Ticker difference+40.1%

The largest source of relative strength was the ticker difference. FF returned 50.9%; SPY returned 20.0%.

Market conditions

FF in rising and falling benchmark weeks

Upside beta is higher than downside beta, a historically favourable split.

Upside beta1.2894% upside capture
Downside beta0.22-56% downside capture
Current splitMore responsive in rising markets+1.06 beta gap
ConditionWeeksFF averageSPY averageBetaBeat benchmark
Benchmark up31+1.38%+1.47%1.2842%
Benchmark down21+0.70%-1.26%0.2267%
Strongest benchmark weeks10+3.82%+2.85%-1.3850%
Weakest benchmark weeks10-0.32%-1.99%-12.3250%
Quieter benchmark weeks26+1.06%+0.28%2.2458%
Historical extremes

Strongest and weakest 13-week relative periods

Distinct 13-week windows prevent one long move from filling the list with overlapping dates.

Strongest relative periods

2025-12-12 to 2026-03-06+46.0 pts

FF 44.3% ยท SPY -1.7%

The return pattern shows that the sector moved the same way, and the ticker moved beyond its peer backdrop.
2022-10-21 to 2023-01-13+44.9 pts

FF 56.8% ยท SPY 11.9%

The return pattern shows that the sector moved the same way, and the ticker moved beyond its peer backdrop.
2024-01-26 to 2024-04-19+43.1 pts

FF 46.0% ยท SPY 3.0%

The return pattern shows that the sector moved the same way, and the ticker moved beyond its peer backdrop.

Weakest relative periods

2021-05-21 to 2021-08-13-38.2 pts

FF -30.8% ยท SPY 7.4%

The return pattern shows that the sector moved the same way, and the ticker moved beyond its peer backdrop.
2023-11-10 to 2024-02-02-31.2 pts

FF -17.0% ยท SPY 14.2%

The return pattern shows that the sector moved the same way, and the industry added to the move, and the ticker moved beyond its peer backdrop.
2023-08-11 to 2023-11-03-29.1 pts

FF -31.5% ยท SPY -2.4%

The return pattern shows that the sector moved the same way, and the industry added to the move, and the ticker moved beyond its peer backdrop.
Pressure and timing

Drawdowns and lead/lag relationship

The strongest link is in the same week. Lead/lag evidence is treated as secondary because timing relationships can change quickly.

Drawdown from each rolling high

Worst available drawdown: FF -48.4% ยท SPY -23.9%

Move across the chart to inspect a completed week.
FF drawdownSPY drawdown
Ticker leads 2w
-5%
Ticker leads 1w
2%
Same week
26%
Benchmark leads 1w
-13%
Benchmark leads 2w
13%
Observable signals

Signals that would confirm or change the reading

These are conditions to monitor, not price targets or forecasts.

Relative strengthAbove the zero baseline

A fall through zero would show that the stock/benchmark ratio has moved below its trailing one-year average.

Up/down beta+1.06 upside-minus-downside gap

Upside beta is higher than downside beta. The favourable split remains intact while that gap stays positive.

Exposure trendBeta is stable

Rising beta means broad-market moves are carrying more weight; falling beta means ticker-specific forces are carrying more weight.

Peer confirmation+36.3 points versus Specialty Chemicals over 13 weeks

Strength shared by the peer group is broader; strength confined to the ticker is more company-specific and usually less stable.

Method and limits

Data and interpretation limits

Data
Completed weekly observations from 2020-09-04 to 2026-08-21 ยท 312 aligned weeks.
Current reading
52 weeks; rolling charts use 26 weeks.
Relative strength
Stock/benchmark ratio compared with its trailing 52-week average.
Peer evidence
At least 10 sector constituents and 5 industry constituents. Thin groups are excluded.
Boundary
Historical relationship analysis, not a forecast or a statement of cause. Historical relationships can break without warning.

Evidence context