The Transportation group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Kirby (KEX) 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 Transportation peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Kirby is one of 110 individual stocks in the Transportation sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #2 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. Kirby is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for KEX's full-year earnings has moved 1.2% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
According to our latest data, KEX has moved about 26.9% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Transportation companies have returned an average of 13.9%. This shows that Kirby is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Another stock in the Transportation sector, ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (ZIM), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 31.5%.
The consensus estimate for ZIM Integrated Shipping Services' current year EPS has increased 143.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
To break things down more, Kirby belongs to the Transportation - Shipping industry, a group that includes 28 individual companies and currently sits at #33 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 56.9% so far this year, so KEX is slightly underperforming its industry this group in terms of year-to-date returns. ZIM Integrated Shipping Services is also part of the same industry.
Investors with an interest in Transportation stocks should continue to track Kirby and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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Kirby Corporation (KEX): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).