Is GE Aerospace (GE) Stock Outpacing Its Aerospace Peers This Year?

For those looking to find strong Aerospace stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. GE Aerospace (GE) 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.

GE Aerospace is one of 58 companies in the Aerospace group. The Aerospace group currently sits at #1 within 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 is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. GE Aerospace is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for GE's full-year earnings has moved 6.5% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Our latest available data shows that GE has returned about 83.2% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Aerospace companies have returned an average of 31.5%. This means that GE Aerospace is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another Aerospace stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Elbit Systems (ESLT). The stock has returned 93.4% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Elbit Systems' consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 11.5%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, GE Aerospace belongs to the Aerospace - Defense industry, which includes 24 individual stocks and currently sits at #106 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 32.1% this year, meaning that GE is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Elbit Systems belongs to the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry. This 33-stock industry is currently ranked #52. The industry has moved +30.3% year to date.

Investors interested in the Aerospace sector may want to keep a close eye on GE Aerospace and Elbit Systems as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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