For those looking to find strong Oils-Energy stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Vaalco Energy (EGY) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company’s year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Oils-Energy sector should help us answer this question.
Vaalco Energy is a member of our Oils-Energy group, which includes 256 different companies and currently sits at #4 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 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. Vaalco Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EGY’s full-year earnings has moved 7.4% higher within the past quarter. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
Based on the most recent data, EGY has returned 82.6% so far this year. At the same time, Oils-Energy stocks have gained an average of 20.3%. As we can see, Vaalco Energy is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
Another Oils-Energy stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is PDC Energy (PDCE). The stock has returned 36.5% year-to-date.
For PDC Energy, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 39.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Looking more specifically, Vaalco Energy belongs to the Oil and Gas – Exploration and Production – International industry, which includes 9 individual stocks and currently sits at #24 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 55% this year, meaning that EGY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, PDC Energy belongs to the Oil and Gas – Exploration and Production – United States industry. This 42-stock industry is currently ranked #55. The industry has moved +30.1% year to date.
Vaalco Energy and PDC Energy could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.
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