Is Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK) Outperforming Other Industrial Products Stocks This Year?
For those looking to find strong Industrial Products stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Graphic Packaging (GPK) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Industrial Products peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Graphic Packaging is one of 219 companies in the Industrial Products group. The Industrial Products group currently sits at #10 within the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. Graphic Packaging is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for GPK's full-year earnings has moved 6.2% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
Our latest available data shows that GPK has returned about 15.2% since the start of the calendar year. At the same time, Industrial Products stocks have lost an average of 10.2%. This means that Graphic Packaging is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
One other Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is W.W. Grainger (GWW). The stock is up 13.2% year-to-date.
The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger's current year EPS has increased 4.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Graphic Packaging belongs to the Containers - Paper and Packaging industry, a group that includes 11 individual stocks and currently sits at #201 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 0.3% so far this year, so GPK is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.
W.W. Grainger, however, belongs to the Industrial Services industry. Currently, this 23-stock industry is ranked #47. The industry has moved -13.2% so far this year.
Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on Graphic Packaging and W.W. Grainger 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
Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) : Free Stock Analysis Report
