Is A. O. Smith (AOS) 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. A.O. Smith (AOS) 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 Industrial Products peers, we might be able to answer that question.
A.O. Smith is one of 224 individual stocks in the Industrial Products sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #3 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.
The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. A.O. Smith is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AOS' full-year earnings has moved 3.9% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
Based on the most recent data, AOS has returned 26.1% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Industrial Products sector has returned an average of 9.3% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, A.O. Smith is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
Another Industrial Products stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Crawford United Corporation (CRAWA). The stock has returned 81.6% year-to-date.
For Crawford United Corporation, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 32.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Looking more specifically, A.O. Smith belongs to the Manufacturing - Electronics industry, a group that includes 17 individual stocks and currently sits at #11 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 13.2% so far this year, so AOS is performing better in this area.
In contrast, Crawford United Corporation falls under the Manufacturing - General Industrial industry. Currently, this industry has 42 stocks and is ranked #87. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +13.4%.
Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on A.O. Smith and Crawford United Corporation as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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A. O. Smith Corporation (AOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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