For those looking to find strong Medical stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals is a member of our Medical group, which includes 987 different companies and currently sits at #6 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 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. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BCRX's full-year earnings has moved 324.2% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
Based on the most recent data, BCRX has returned 18.9% so far this year. In comparison, Medical companies have returned an average of -3.1%. This shows that BioCryst 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 39.5% year-to-date.
The consensus estimate for Cardinal Health's current year EPS has increased 2.9% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
To break things down more, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals belongs to the Medical - Drugs industry, a group that includes 155 individual companies and currently sits at #67 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 3.5% so far this year, meaning that BCRX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, Cardinal Health belongs to the Medical - Dental Supplies industry. This 14-stock industry is currently ranked #27. The industry has moved +0.7% year to date.
Going forward, investors interested in Medical stocks should continue to pay close attention to BioCryst 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
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX): Free Stock Analysis Report Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
