The Consumer Staples group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Corteva, Inc. (CTVA) 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 Consumer Staples sector should help us answer this question.
Corteva, Inc. is a member of our Consumer Staples group, which includes 180 different companies and currently sits at #15 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. Corteva, Inc. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for CTVA's full-year earnings has moved 0.2% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Based on the latest available data, CTVA has gained about 4.6% so far this year. At the same time, Consumer Staples stocks have lost an average of 2.3%. This shows that Corteva, Inc. is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Another stock in the Consumer Staples sector, J&J Snack Foods (JJSF), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 3.7%.
Over the past three months, J&J Snack Foods' consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 6.5%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
To break things down more, Corteva, Inc. belongs to the Agriculture - Operations industry, a group that includes 13 individual companies and currently sits at #212 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 6% this year, meaning that CTVA is slightly underperforming its industry in terms of year-to-date returns.
J&J Snack Foods, however, belongs to the Food - Miscellaneous industry. Currently, this 42-stock industry is ranked #189. The industry has moved -20.7% so far this year.
Investors interested in the Consumer Staples sector may want to keep a close eye on Corteva, Inc. and J&J Snack Foods as they attempt to continue 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
Corteva, Inc. (CTVA): Free Stock Analysis Report J & J Snack Foods Corp. (JJSF): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
