The Aerospace group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Astronics Corporation (ATRO) 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 Aerospace peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Astronics Corporation is one of 58 individual stocks in the Aerospace sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #7 in the Zacks Sector Rank. 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 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. Astronics Corporation is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATRO's full-year earnings has moved 6.7% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Based on the latest available data, ATRO has gained about 97.4% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Aerospace sector has returned an average of 26.7% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Astronics Corporation is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.
One other Aerospace stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Airbus Group (EADSY). The stock is up 27.6% year-to-date.
Over the past three months, Airbus Group's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 3.6%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Astronics Corporation belongs to the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry, which includes 33 individual stocks and currently sits at #155 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 25.4% this year, meaning that ATRO is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
In contrast, Airbus Group falls under the Aerospace - Defense industry. Currently, this industry has 24 stocks and is ranked #71. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +27.3%.
Investors with an interest in Aerospace stocks should continue to track Astronics Corporation and Airbus Group. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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Astronics Corporation (ATRO): Free Stock Analysis Report Airbus Group (EADSY): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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