Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Dole (DOLE) This Year?

In this article:

Investors interested in Consumer Staples stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Dole (DOLE) 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? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Consumer Staples peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Dole is a member of the Consumer Staples sector. This group includes 193 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #12. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.

The Zacks Rank is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. Dole is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for DOLE's full-year earnings has moved 11.3% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, DOLE has gained about 0.7% so far this year. At the same time, Consumer Staples stocks have lost an average of 4.7%. This means that Dole is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

One other Consumer Staples stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is PepsiCo (PEP). The stock is up 1.8% year-to-date.

For PepsiCo, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 0.9% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Dole belongs to the Agriculture - Operations industry, a group that includes 16 individual companies and currently sits at #73 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 27.5% this year, meaning that DOLE is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, PepsiCo belongs to the Beverages - Soft drinks industry. This 16-stock industry is currently ranked #29. The industry has moved +7.3% year to date.

Investors interested in the Consumer Staples sector may want to keep a close eye on Dole and PepsiCo as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Dole PLC (DOLE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

Advertisement