The Computer and Technology group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Aehr Test Systems (AEHR) 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 Computer and Technology sector should help us answer this question.
Aehr Test Systems is a member of our Computer and Technology group, which includes 613 different companies and currently sits at #2 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.
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. Aehr Test Systems is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEHR's full-year earnings has moved 1350% higher within the past quarter. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
According to our latest data, AEHR has moved about 301.4% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Computer and Technology companies have returned an average of 12%. As we can see, Aehr Test Systems is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
One other Computer and Technology stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Cisco Systems (CSCO). The stock is up 45.3% year-to-date.
In Cisco Systems' case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 3.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Aehr Test Systems belongs to the Electronics - Measuring Instruments industry, a group that includes 5 individual stocks and currently sits at #6 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 55.4% this year, meaning that AEHR is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, Cisco Systems belongs to the Computer - Networking industry. This 7-stock industry is currently ranked #199. The industry has moved +45.2% year to date.
Aehr Test Systems and Cisco Systems could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Computer and Technology stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.
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Aehr Test Systems (AEHR): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).