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Has W.W. Grainger (GWW) Outpaced Other Industrial Products Stocks This Year?

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The Industrial Products group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. W.W. Grainger (GWW - 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? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Industrial Products sector should help us answer this question.

W.W. Grainger is one of 219 companies in the Industrial Products group. The Industrial Products group currently sits at #4 within 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. W.W. Grainger is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GWW's full-year earnings has moved 5% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

According to our latest data, GWW has moved about 14.6% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, stocks in the Industrial Products group have lost about 10.1% on average. This means that W.W. Grainger is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Another Industrial Products stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Hubbell (HUBB - Free Report) . The stock has returned 19.9% year-to-date.

In Hubbell's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 6.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Breaking things down more, W.W. Grainger is a member of the Industrial Services industry, which includes 23 individual companies and currently sits at #89 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 23% so far this year, so GWW is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Hubbell belongs to the Manufacturing - Electrical Utilities industry. This 1-stock industry is currently ranked #1. The industry has moved +21.5% year to date.

Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on W.W. Grainger and Hubbell as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


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