Is W.W. Grainger (GWW) Stock Outpacing Its Industrial Products Peers This Year?
The Industrial Products group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is W.W. Grainger (GWW) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.
W.W. Grainger is one of 226 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 groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.
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. W.W. Grainger is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for GWW's full-year earnings has moved 0.9% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Based on the most recent data, GWW has returned 17.6% so far this year. In comparison, Industrial Products companies have returned an average of 8.1%. This means that W.W. Grainger is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
MSA Safety (MSA) is another Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 10.7%.
The consensus estimate for MSA Safety's current year EPS has increased 4.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Looking more specifically, W.W. Grainger belongs to the Industrial Services industry, which includes 22 individual stocks and currently sits at #147 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 13.3% so far this year, so GWW is performing better in this area.
On the other hand, MSA Safety belongs to the Security and Safety Services industry. This 20-stock industry is currently ranked #26. The industry has moved +8% year to date.
Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on W.W. Grainger and MSA Safety 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
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) : Free Stock Analysis Report
MSA Safety Incorporporated (MSA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
