The Transportation group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Marten Transport, Ltd. (MRTN) 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 Transportation sector should help us answer this question.
Marten Transport, Ltd. is one of 110 companies in the Transportation group. The Transportation group currently sits at #1 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 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. Marten Transport, Ltd. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MRTN's full-year earnings has moved 8.7% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
Based on the latest available data, MRTN has gained about 53.2% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Transportation sector has returned an average of 17.1% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Marten Transport, Ltd. is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.
One other Transportation stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Schneider National (SNDR). The stock is up 39.2% year-to-date.
Over the past three months, Schneider National's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 8.3%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
To break things down more, Marten Transport, Ltd. belongs to the Transportation - Truck industry, a group that includes 12 individual companies and currently sits at #15 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 46.3% so far this year, so MRTN is performing better in this area.
In contrast, Schneider National falls under the Transportation - Services industry. Currently, this industry has 20 stocks and is ranked #100. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +12.2%.
Investors with an interest in Transportation stocks should continue to track Marten Transport, Ltd. and Schneider National. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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
Marten Transport, Ltd. (MRTN): Free Stock Analysis Report
Schneider National, Inc. (SNDR): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).