For those looking to find strong Basic Materials stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Blachem (BCPC) 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.
Blachem is one of 237 individual stocks in the Basic Materials sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #12 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. Blachem is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BCPC's full-year earnings has moved 9.8% higher within the past quarter. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Our latest available data shows that BCPC has returned about 3.2% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Basic Materials companies have returned an average of -1.7%. This means that Blachem is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.
Another stock in the Basic Materials sector, Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc. (HYFM), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 6.9%.
For Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc. the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 44.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Blachem belongs to the Chemical - Specialty industry, which includes 33 individual stocks and currently sits at #55 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 9.7% so far this year, so BCPC is slightly underperforming its industry this group in terms of year-to-date returns.
In contrast, Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc. falls under the Agriculture - Products industry. Currently, this industry has 7 stocks and is ranked #216. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +0.2%.
Blachem and Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc. could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.
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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.
