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Is GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Outperforming Other Medical Stocks This Year?

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Investors interested in Medical stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK - Free Report) 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? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

GlaxoSmithKline is a member of the Medical sector. This group includes 1115 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #13. 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. GlaxoSmithKline is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for GSK's full-year earnings has moved 9.8% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the latest available data, GSK has gained about 17.3% so far this year. In comparison, Medical companies have returned an average of -9.3%. As we can see, GlaxoSmithKline is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Omnicell (OMCL - Free Report) is another Medical stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 50.7%.

Over the past three months, Omnicell's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 7.6%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, GlaxoSmithKline belongs to the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry, a group that includes 14 individual companies and currently sits at #111 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 18.1% so far this year, so GSK is slightly underperforming its industry in this area.

In contrast, Omnicell falls under the Medical Info Systems industry. Currently, this industry has 43 stocks and is ranked #152. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -41.5%.

Investors interested in the Medical sector may want to keep a close eye on GlaxoSmithKline and Omnicell as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


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