Investors interested in Consumer Staples stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has McCormick (MKC) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Consumer Staples peers, we might be able to answer that question.
McCormick is a member of the Consumer Staples sector. This group includes 192 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #8. 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. McCormick is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MKC's full-year earnings has moved 0.1% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
According to our latest data, MKC has moved about 6.9% on a year-to-date basis. At the same time, Consumer Staples stocks have gained an average of 1.6%. This shows that McCormick is outperforming its peers so far this year.
One other Consumer Staples stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Unilever PLC (UL). The stock is up 4.9% year-to-date.
Over the past three months, Unilever PLC's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 0.5%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Breaking things down more, McCormick is a member of the Food - Miscellaneous industry, which includes 49 individual companies and currently sits at #55 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 4.5% so far this year, meaning that MKC is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
In contrast, Unilever PLC falls under the Soap and Cleaning Materials industry. Currently, this industry has 7 stocks and is ranked #37. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +3.9%.
Investors interested in the Consumer Staples sector may want to keep a close eye on McCormick and Unilever PLC as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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Unilever PLC (UL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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