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Is Vir Biotechnology (VIR) 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 Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (VIR - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Vir Biotechnology, Inc. is one of 1180 companies in the Medical group. The Medical group currently sits at #4 within the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. Vir Biotechnology, Inc. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VIR's full-year earnings has moved 53.2% 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, VIR has gained about 6.3% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Medical sector has returned an average of -17.1% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Prana Biotechnology Ltd (ATHE - 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 17.5%.

For Prana Biotechnology Ltd, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 25.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Vir Biotechnology, Inc. belongs to the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, a group that includes 559 individual companies and currently sits at #70 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 18.7% this year, meaning that VIR is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. Prana Biotechnology Ltd is also part of the same industry.

Investors interested in the Medical sector may want to keep a close eye on Vir Biotechnology, Inc. and Prana Biotechnology Ltd as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


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