Investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. H&R Block (HRB) 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? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.
H&R Block is a member of the Consumer Discretionary sector. This group includes 260 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #12. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.
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. H&R Block is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HRB's full-year earnings has moved 8.1% higher within the past quarter. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Our latest available data shows that HRB has returned about 2.3% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Consumer Discretionary group have lost about 11.1% on average. This means that H&R Block is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
Imax (IMAX) is another Consumer Discretionary stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 38.8%.
Over the past three months, Imax's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 18.2%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, H&R Block belongs to the Consumer Services - Miscellaneous industry, which includes 5 individual stocks and currently sits at #60 in the Zacks Industry Rank.
In contrast, Imax falls under the Film and Television Production and Distribution industry. Currently, this industry has 8 stocks and is ranked #84. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +4.7%.
H&R Block and Imax could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.
Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power .
Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.
See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>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
H&R Block, Inc. (HRB): Free Stock Analysis Report
IMAX Corporation (IMAX): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).