Are Basic Materials Stocks Lagging ICL Group (ICL) This Year?
For those looking to find strong Basic Materials stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. ICL Group (ICL) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Basic Materials sector should help us answer this question.
ICL Group is a member of the Basic Materials sector. This group includes 236 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #15. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.
The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. ICL Group is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ICL's full-year earnings has moved 0.7% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
Based on the most recent data, ICL has returned 0.8% so far this year. In comparison, Basic Materials companies have returned an average of -6.5%. This means that ICL Group is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
Innospec (IOSP) is another Basic Materials stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 1.5%.
In Innospec's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 1.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, ICL Group belongs to the Fertilizers industry, a group that includes 8 individual stocks and currently sits at #209 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 8.7% so far this year, so ICL is performing better in this area.
In contrast, Innospec falls under the Chemical - Diversified industry. Currently, this industry has 29 stocks and is ranked #226. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -6.8%.
Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track ICL Group and Innospec. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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ICL Group Ltd. (ICL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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