Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Avista (AVA) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Avista is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 106 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #2. 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 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. Avista is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVA's full-year earnings has moved 3.4% higher within the past quarter. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
Based on the latest available data, AVA has gained about 8% so far this year. At the same time, Utilities stocks have lost an average of 1.7%. This means that Avista is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
One other Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is American Water Works (AWK). The stock is up 13.2% year-to-date.
In American Water Works' case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 0.3% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Breaking things down more, Avista is a member of the Utility - Electric Power industry, which includes 60 individual companies and currently sits at #58 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 1% so far this year, meaning that AVA is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, American Water Works belongs to the Utility - Water Supply industry. This 12-stock industry is currently ranked #216. The industry has moved +9.8% year to date.
Going forward, investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to Avista and American Water Works as they could maintain their solid performance.
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Avista Corporation (AVA): Free Stock Analysis Report American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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