Are Medical Stocks Lagging Alimera Sciences (ALIM) This Year?

The Medical group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Alimera Sciences (ALIM) 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 Medical sector should help us answer this question.

Alimera Sciences is one of 1184 individual stocks in the Medical sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #6 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 proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. Alimera Sciences is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALIM's full-year earnings has moved 11.1% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the most recent data, ALIM has returned 8.8% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Medical sector has returned an average of -19.4% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Alimera Sciences is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another Medical stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (BIOVF). The stock has returned 1.5% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 15.2%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Alimera Sciences belongs to the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, a group that includes 557 individual stocks and currently sits at #78 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 22.4% so far this year, so ALIM is performing better in this area. Swedish Orphan Biovitrum is also part of the same industry.

Investors with an interest in Medical stocks should continue to track Alimera Sciences and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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