For those looking to find strong Business Services stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is APi (APG) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Business Services peers, we might be able to answer that question.
APi is a member of the Business Services sector. This group includes 238 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #14. 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 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. APi is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for APG's full-year earnings has moved 0.4% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
According to our latest data, APG has moved about 11.2% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, stocks in the Business Services group have lost about 10.2% on average. This shows that APi is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Another stock in the Business Services sector, Maximus (MMS), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 14%.
The consensus estimate for Maximus' current year EPS has increased 15.9% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Breaking things down more, APi is a member of the Business - Services industry, which includes 23 individual companies and currently sits at #106 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 10.9% so far this year, so APG is performing better in this area.
On the other hand, Maximus belongs to the Government Services industry. This 3-stock industry is currently ranked #39. The industry has moved -6.4% year to date.
Investors interested in the Business Services sector may want to keep a close eye on APi and Maximus as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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APi Group Corporation (APG): Free Stock Analysis Report Maximus, Inc. (MMS): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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