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Are Construction Stocks Lagging Armstrong World Industries (AWI) This Year?

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The Construction group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Armstrong World Industries (AWI - 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? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Construction peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Armstrong World Industries is a member of the Construction sector. This group includes 91 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #4. 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. Armstrong World Industries is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AWI's full-year earnings has moved 2.9% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Our latest available data shows that AWI has returned about 33.7% since the start of the calendar year. At the same time, Construction stocks have gained an average of 19.1%. This means that Armstrong World Industries is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Construction sector, Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR (HCMLY - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 19.2%.

In Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 2.3% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Breaking things down more, Armstrong World Industries is a member of the Building Products - Miscellaneous industry, which includes 27 individual companies and currently sits at #50 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 18.8% so far this year, so AWI is performing better in this area. Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR is also part of the same industry.

Going forward, investors interested in Construction stocks should continue to pay close attention to Armstrong World Industries and Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR as they could maintain their solid performance.


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