For those looking to find strong Consumer Discretionary stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Acco Brands (ACCO) 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? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Consumer Discretionary peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Acco Brands is one of 246 companies in the Consumer Discretionary group. The Consumer Discretionary group currently sits at #11 within 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 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. Acco Brands is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ACCO's full-year earnings has moved 2.4% higher within the past quarter. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Based on the most recent data, ACCO has returned 4.3% so far this year. In comparison, Consumer Discretionary companies have returned an average of -9.4%. This means that Acco Brands is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.
Another Consumer Discretionary stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Columbia Sportswear (COLM). The stock has returned 18.2% year-to-date.
Over the past three months, Columbia Sportswear's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 11.6%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Breaking things down more, Acco Brands is a member of the Consumer Products - Discretionary industry, which includes 26 individual companies and currently sits at #105 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 2% so far this year, so ACCO is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, Columbia Sportswear belongs to the Textile - Apparel industry. This 22-stock industry is currently ranked #89. The industry has moved -8.3% year to date.
Going forward, investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should continue to pay close attention to Acco Brands and Columbia Sportswear as they could maintain their solid performance.
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Acco Brands Corporation (ACCO): Free Stock Analysis Report
Columbia Sportswear Company (COLM): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).