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Is H&R Block (HRB) Outperforming Other Consumer Discretionary Stocks This Year?

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Investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has H&R Block (HRB - 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 Consumer Discretionary sector should help us answer this question.

H&R Block is a member of the Consumer Discretionary sector. This group includes 284 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #11. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

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. H&R Block is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HRB's full-year earnings has moved 10.9% higher within the past quarter. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, HRB has gained about 50.7% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Consumer Discretionary sector has returned an average of -27.1% on a year-to-date basis. This means that H&R Block is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

One other Consumer Discretionary stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Marriott International (MAR - Free Report) . The stock is up 4.4% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Marriott International's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 8.2%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, H&R Block belongs to the Consumer Services - Miscellaneous industry, a group that includes 14 individual stocks and currently sits at #157 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 14% this year, meaning that HRB is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Marriott International, however, belongs to the Hotels and Motels industry. Currently, this 15-stock industry is ranked #71. The industry has moved -6% so far this year.

Investors interested in the Consumer Discretionary sector may want to keep a close eye on H&R Block and Marriott International as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


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