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Are Medical Stocks Lagging Lantheus (LNTH) This Year?

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For those looking to find strong Medical stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Lantheus Holdings 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? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Medical peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Lantheus Holdings is a member of our Medical group, which includes 1046 different companies and currently sits at #6 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 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. Lantheus Holdings is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for LNTH's full-year earnings has moved 13.8% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Our latest available data shows that LNTH has returned about 26.2% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Medical sector has returned an average of 4.3% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Lantheus Holdings is outperforming its peers so far this year.

One other Medical stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Agios Pharmaceuticals (AGIO - Free Report) . The stock is up 41.5% year-to-date.

For Agios Pharmaceuticals, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 12.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Lantheus Holdings belongs to the Medical - Products industry, a group that includes 91 individual companies and currently sits at #89 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 3.5% so far this year, so LNTH is performing better in this area. Agios Pharmaceuticals is also part of the same industry.

Investors interested in the Medical sector may want to keep a close eye on Lantheus Holdings and Agios Pharmaceuticals as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


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