Investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Fresnillo PLC (FNLPF) 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? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Basic Materials sector should help us answer this question.
Fresnillo PLC is one of 241 individual stocks in the Basic Materials sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #12 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. Fresnillo PLC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FNLPF's full-year earnings has moved 50.4% higher within the past quarter. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
According to our latest data, FNLPF has moved about 372.3% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Basic Materials companies have returned an average of 24.4%. As we can see, Fresnillo PLC is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
One other Basic Materials stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is New Pacific Metals Corp. (NEWP). The stock is up 162.7% year-to-date.
In New Pacific Metals Corp.'s case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 20% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
To break things down more, Fresnillo PLC belongs to the Mining - Silver industry, a group that includes 9 individual companies and currently sits at #15 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 159.5% so far this year, so FNLPF is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, New Pacific Metals Corp. belongs to the Mining - Miscellaneous industry. This 69-stock industry is currently ranked #99. The industry has moved +31.5% year to date.
Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track Fresnillo PLC and New Pacific Metals Corp.. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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Fresnillo PLC (FNLPF): Free Stock Analysis Report New Pacific Metals Corp. (NEWP): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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