For those looking to find strong Medical stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (AUPH) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Medical sector should help us answer this question.
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is a member of our Medical group, which includes 949 different companies and currently sits at #4 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. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AUPH's full-year earnings has moved 20.3% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Based on the most recent data, AUPH has returned 74.6% so far this year. In comparison, Medical companies have returned an average of 6.3%. This shows that Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is outperforming its peers so far this year.
One other Medical stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Cardinal Health (CAH). The stock is up 77.1% year-to-date.
In Cardinal Health's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 4.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Breaking things down more, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is a member of the Medical - Drugs industry, which includes 144 individual companies and currently sits at #75 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 6.1% this year, meaning that AUPH is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Cardinal Health, however, belongs to the Medical - Dental Supplies industry. Currently, this 14-stock industry is ranked #53. The industry has moved +13.8% so far this year.
Going forward, investors interested in Medical stocks should continue to pay close attention to Aurinia Pharmaceuticals and Cardinal Health as they could maintain 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
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc (AUPH): Free Stock Analysis Report Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
