Is Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) Outperforming Other Medical Stocks This Year?

For those looking to find strong Medical stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) 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.

Pacira BioSciences is a member of the Medical sector. This group includes 901 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #10. 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 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. PCRX is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for PCRX's full-year earnings has moved 27.88% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the most recent data, PCRX has returned 33.13% so far this year. At the same time, Medical stocks have gained an average of 1.67%. This means that Pacira BioSciences is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Looking more specifically, PCRX belongs to the Medical - Drugs industry, a group that includes 170 individual stocks and currently sits at #171 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 6.69% so far this year, so PCRX is performing better in this area.

PCRX will likely be looking to continue its solid performance, so investors interested in Medical stocks should continue to pay close attention to the company.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.