The Basic Materials group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Ashland (ASH) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Basic Materials peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Ashland is a member of our Basic Materials group, which includes 236 different companies and currently sits at #12 in 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 is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Ashland is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ASH's full-year earnings has moved 2% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
According to our latest data, ASH has moved about 11% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Basic Materials companies have returned an average of -5.9%. This shows that Ashland is outperforming its peers so far this year.
One other Basic Materials stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Fortuna Mining (FSM). The stock is up 14% year-to-date.
In Fortuna Mining's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 575% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Ashland belongs to the Chemical - Specialty industry, a group that includes 33 individual stocks and currently sits at #98 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 19.1% this year, meaning that ASH is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Fortuna Mining, however, belongs to the Mining - Miscellaneous industry. Currently, this 59-stock industry is ranked #193. The industry has moved -13.1% so far this year.
Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track Ashland and Fortuna Mining. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
