The Auto-Tires-Trucks group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has Blue Bird (BLBD) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Auto-Tires-Trucks peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Blue Bird is a member of our Auto-Tires-Trucks group, which includes 103 different companies and currently sits at #5 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. Blue Bird is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BLBD's full-year earnings has moved 11.5% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
Based on the latest available data, BLBD has gained about 22.3% so far this year. At the same time, Auto-Tires-Trucks stocks have lost an average of 10.4%. This means that Blue Bird is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
Another stock in the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector, Magna (MGA), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 5.3%.
Over the past three months, Magna's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 13.9%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
To break things down more, Blue Bird belongs to the Automotive - Domestic industry, a group that includes 16 individual companies and currently sits at #180 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 13% so far this year, meaning that BLBD is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Magna, however, belongs to the Automotive - Original Equipment industry. Currently, this 54-stock industry is ranked #95. The industry has moved -3.7% so far this year.
Investors interested in the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector may want to keep a close eye on Blue Bird and Magna as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).