Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Ahold (ADRNY) This Year?

For those looking to find strong Consumer Staples stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Ahold NV (ADRNY) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Consumer Staples peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Ahold NV is one of 178 individual stocks in the Consumer Staples sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #13 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 is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. Ahold NV is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ADRNY's full-year earnings has moved 4% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, ADRNY has returned 27% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Consumer Staples group have gained about 5.9% on average. This shows that Ahold NV is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another Consumer Staples stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Embotelladora Andina S.A. (AKO.B). The stock has returned 41.4% year-to-date.

In Embotelladora Andina S.A.'s case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 0.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Ahold NV belongs to the Consumer Products - Staples industry, a group that includes 38 individual stocks and currently sits at #174 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 0.2% so far this year, so ADRNY is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

Embotelladora Andina S.A. however, belongs to the Beverages - Soft drinks industry. Currently, this 16-stock industry is ranked #30. The industry has moved +7.1% so far this year.

Investors interested in the Consumer Staples sector may want to keep a close eye on Ahold NV and Embotelladora Andina S.A. as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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