#9. Timber - Total return in 2021: 16.8% - Market capitalization: $37.8 billion Framing lumber prices jumped a record-setting 250% during the pandemic. Now it seems that timber prices are following suit. However, meeting challenges to keep up with demand can lead to volatility in this sector-prices are already weak in parts of the country-so experts suggest it as a long-term investment tool. Vertically integrated companies like Weyerhaeuser, that are also involved with lumber production, fare better through ebbs and flows than companies solely focused on timberland. The sector has seen positive returns throughout the pandemic.