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Are Transportation Stocks Lagging Kirby (KEX) This Year?

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For those looking to find strong Transportation stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Kirby (KEX - Free Report) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Transportation sector should help us answer this question.

Kirby is a member of the Transportation sector. This group includes 135 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #7. 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 proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. Kirby is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for KEX's full-year earnings has moved 7.4% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

According to our latest data, KEX has moved about 54.3% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Transportation companies have returned an average of -3.3%. This means that Kirby is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Transportation sector, Matson (MATX - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 14%.

The consensus estimate for Matson's current year EPS has increased 23.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Kirby belongs to the Transportation - Shipping industry, which includes 43 individual stocks and currently sits at #48 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 27.1% so far this year, so KEX is performing better in this area.

Matson, however, belongs to the Transportation - Services industry. Currently, this 27-stock industry is ranked #215. The industry has moved -9.4% so far this year.

Investors interested in the Transportation sector may want to keep a close eye on Kirby and Matson as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


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