By Taylor Thomas
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- The natural resource sector led gains on the S&P 500 SPX +1.64% Thursday following the Federal Reserve's announcement of a third round of quantitative easing. The Vanguard Materials ETF VAW +2.62% , an ETF that tracks natural resources, gained $2.09, or 2.5%, to $84.97 a share. Shortly after the Fed's announcement, the fund hit an intraday high of $85.31, a 52-week high. Gains in the sector included Cliffs Natural Resources CLF +7.39% , up $3.12, or 7.7%, at $43.74 a share, and Lyondell Basell Industries LYB +5.18% , up $2.63, or 5.3%, to $52.25 a share.
