Investors interested in Medical stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has AC Immune (ACIU) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.
AC Immune is one of 891 individual stocks in the Medical sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #6 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. AC Immune is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ACIU's full-year earnings has moved 8% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
Our latest available data shows that ACIU has returned about 2.2% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Medical companies have returned an average of -5.1%. This shows that AC Immune is outperforming its peers so far this year.
One other Medical stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Assertio (ASRT). The stock is up 103% year-to-date.
The consensus estimate for Assertio's current year EPS has increased 110.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, AC Immune belongs to the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, which includes 436 individual stocks and currently sits at #144 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 1.6% so far this year, meaning that ACIU is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, Assertio belongs to the Medical - Drugs industry. This 133-stock industry is currently ranked #91. The industry has moved +1.1% year to date.
Investors interested in the Medical sector may want to keep a close eye on AC Immune and Assertio as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
Free Report: Profiting from the 2nd Wave of AI Explosion
The next phase of the AI explosion is poised to create significant wealth for investors, especially those who get in early. It will add literally trillion of dollars to the economy and revolutionize nearly every part of our lives.
Investors who bought shares like Nvidia at the right time have had a shot at huge gains.
But the rocket ride in the "first wave" of AI stocks may soon come to an end. The sharp upward trajectory of these stocks will begin to level off, leaving exponential growth to a new wave of cutting-edge companies.
Zacks' AI Boom 2.0: The Second Wave report reveals 4 under-the-radar companies that may soon be shining stars of AI’s next leap forward.
Access AI Boom 2.0 now, absolutely free >>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
AC Immune (ACIU): Free Stock Analysis Report
Assertio Holdings, Inc. (ASRT): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).