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Is Verso (VRS) Stock Outpacing Its Basic Materials Peers This Year?

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Investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Verso 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? One simple way to answer this question is to take a look at the year-to-date performance of VRS and the rest of the Basic Materials group's stocks.

Verso is one of 238 companies in the Basic Materials group. The Basic Materials group currently sits at #14 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 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. VRS is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for VRS's full-year earnings has moved 105.10% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Based on the latest available data, VRS has gained about 71.37% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Basic Materials group have lost about 3.98% on average. This means that Verso is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Looking more specifically, VRS belongs to the Paper and Related Products industry, a group that includes 19 individual stocks and currently sits at #37 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 2.45% this year, meaning that VRS is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track VRS. The stock will be looking to continue its solid performance.