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Has MRC Global (MRC) Outpaced Other Industrial Products Stocks This Year?

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The Industrial Products group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has MRC Global (MRC - 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 Industrial Products sector should help us answer this question.

MRC Global is one of 229 companies in the Industrial Products group. The Industrial Products group currently sits at #8 within 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 is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. MRC Global is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MRC's full-year earnings has moved 33.7% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Our latest available data shows that MRC has returned about 75.6% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Industrial Products sector has returned an average of -14% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that MRC Global is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Norsk Hydro ASA (NHYDY - Free Report) is another Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 6.8%.

For Norsk Hydro ASA, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 59.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Breaking things down more, MRC Global is a member of the Steel - Pipe and Tube industry, which includes 4 individual companies and currently sits at #7 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 23.5% this year, meaning that MRC is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Norsk Hydro ASA, however, belongs to the Metal Products - Procurement and Fabrication industry. Currently, this 13-stock industry is ranked #150. The industry has moved -5.4% so far this year.

MRC Global and Norsk Hydro ASA could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.


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