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Are Industrial Products Stocks Lagging Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK) This Year?

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Investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Graphic Packaging (GPK - Free Report) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Industrial Products peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Graphic Packaging is one of 221 individual stocks in the Industrial Products sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #1 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 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. Graphic Packaging is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GPK's full-year earnings has moved 2.8% higher within the past quarter. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, GPK has gained about 0.7% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Industrial Products sector has returned an average of -9.2% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Graphic Packaging is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

W.W. Grainger (GWW - Free Report) is another Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 0.3%.

Over the past three months, W.W. Grainger's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 2.5%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

To break things down more, Graphic Packaging belongs to the Containers - Paper and Packaging industry, a group that includes 10 individual companies and currently sits at #214 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 0.1% so far this year, meaning that GPK is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, W.W. Grainger belongs to the Industrial Services industry. This 23-stock industry is currently ranked #48. The industry has moved -22.6% year to date.

Going forward, investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should continue to pay close attention to Graphic Packaging and W.W. Grainger as they could maintain their solid performance.


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