The Medical group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Assertio (ASRT) 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.
Assertio is a member of the Medical sector. This group includes 1160 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #9. 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. Assertio is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ASRT’s full-year earnings has moved 200% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company’s earnings outlook is stronger.
Our latest available data shows that ASRT has returned about 24.3% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Medical group have lost about 5.3% on average. As we can see, Assertio is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
Another Medical stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (AMPH). The stock has returned 7.6% year-to-date.
For Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 15.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
To break things down more, Assertio belongs to the Medical – Drugs industry, a group that includes 230 individual companies and currently sits at #158 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 8% so far this year, so ASRT is performing better in this area.
In contrast, Amphastar Pharmaceuticals falls under the Medical – Generic Drugs industry. Currently, this industry has 17 stocks and is ranked #87. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +0.2%.
Going forward, investors interested in Medical stocks should continue to pay close attention to Assertio and Amphastar Pharmaceuticals as they could maintain their solid performance.
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