Investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. 3D Systems (DDD) 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 Industrial Products peers, we might be able to answer that question.
3D Systems is one of 189 companies in the Industrial Products group. The Industrial Products group currently sits at #4 within 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. 3D Systems is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for DDD's full-year earnings has moved 26.9% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Based on the most recent data, DDD has returned 101.1% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Industrial Products group have gained about 15.9% on average. As we can see, 3D Systems is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
Another Industrial Products stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Eaton (ETN). The stock has returned 35.8% year-to-date.
The consensus estimate for Eaton's current year EPS has increased 1.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Breaking things down more, 3D Systems is a member of the Commercial Printing industry, which includes 4 individual companies and currently sits at #66 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 12.9% this year, meaning that DDD is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
In contrast, Eaton falls under the Manufacturing - Electronics industry. Currently, this industry has 14 stocks and is ranked #61. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +28.6%.
Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on 3D Systems and Eaton as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).