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Has AmerisourceBergen (ABC) Outpaced Other Medical Stocks This Year?

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For those looking to find strong Medical stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has AmerisourceBergen 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 Medical sector should help us answer this question.

AmerisourceBergen is a member of the Medical sector. This group includes 1189 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #5. 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 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. AmerisourceBergen is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ABC's full-year earnings has moved 0.5% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Based on the most recent data, ABC has returned 8.9% so far this year. In comparison, Medical companies have returned an average of -15.5%. As we can see, AmerisourceBergen is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Aerie Pharmaceuticals is another Medical stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 60%.

The consensus estimate for Aerie Pharmaceuticals' current year EPS has increased 3.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Breaking things down more, AmerisourceBergen is a member of the Medical - Dental Supplies industry, which includes 19 individual companies and currently sits at #139 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 9.9% so far this year, so ABC is performing better in this area.

In contrast, Aerie Pharmaceuticals falls under the Medical - Drugs industry. Currently, this industry has 223 stocks and is ranked #86. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -18.9%.

Going forward, investors interested in Medical stocks should continue to pay close attention to AmerisourceBergen and Aerie Pharmaceuticals as they could maintain their solid performance.

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