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Is Belden (BDC) Outperforming Other Industrial Products Stocks This Year?

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For those looking to find strong Industrial Products stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Belden (BDC - 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? 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.

Belden is one of 219 companies in the Industrial Products group. The Industrial Products group currently sits at #1 within the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. Belden is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BDC's full-year earnings has moved 4.9% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

According to our latest data, BDC has moved about 10.9% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Industrial Products companies have returned an average of -12.2%. This means that Belden is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Hubbell (HUBB - 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 12.7%.

In Hubbell's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 6.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Belden is a member of the Wire and Cable Products industry, which includes 2 individual companies and currently sits at #4 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 0.3% so far this year, so BDC is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

Hubbell, however, belongs to the Manufacturing - Electrical Utilities industry. Currently, this 1-stock industry is ranked #6. The industry has moved +14.8% so far this year.

Going forward, investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should continue to pay close attention to Belden and Hubbell as they could maintain their solid performance.


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