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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. Is GlaxoSmithKline (GSK - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? 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.

GlaxoSmithKline is a member of the Medical sector. This group includes 1161 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #7. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.

The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. GlaxoSmithKline is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for GSK's full-year earnings has moved 0.9% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the most recent data, GSK has returned 2% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Medical group have lost about 8.2% on average. This means that GlaxoSmithKline is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX - 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 10.8%.

For Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 17.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, GlaxoSmithKline belongs to the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry, which includes 14 individual stocks and currently sits at #100 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 2.7% so far this year, so GSK is performing better in this area.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, however, belongs to the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry. Currently, this 540-stock industry is ranked #144. The industry has moved -12.8% so far this year.

GlaxoSmithKline and Vertex Pharmaceuticals could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Medical stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.


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