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Is Lockheed Martin (LMT) Outperforming Other Aerospace Stocks This Year?

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For those looking to find strong Aerospace stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Lockheed Martin (LMT - 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? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Lockheed Martin is one of 46 individual stocks in the Aerospace sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #2 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. Lockheed Martin is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for LMT's full-year earnings has moved 0.2% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, LMT has gained about 2.4% so far this year. In comparison, Aerospace companies have returned an average of -4.3%. This shows that Lockheed Martin is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another stock in the Aerospace sector, TransDigm Group (TDG - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 22.8%.

In TransDigm Group's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 3.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Lockheed Martin is a member of the Aerospace - Defense industry, which includes 22 individual companies and currently sits at #71 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 9.8% so far this year, meaning that LMT is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

TransDigm Group, however, belongs to the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry. Currently, this 23-stock industry is ranked #30. The industry has moved +14.2% so far this year.

Going forward, investors interested in Aerospace stocks should continue to pay close attention to Lockheed Martin and TransDigm Group as they could maintain their solid performance.


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