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Are Retail-Wholesale Stocks Lagging Next (NXGPY) This Year?

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The Retail-Wholesale group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Next PLC (NXGPY - 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? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Next PLC is a member of the Retail-Wholesale sector. This group includes 227 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #2. 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 emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. Next PLC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

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

Our latest available data shows that NXGPY has returned about 18.9% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Retail-Wholesale group have gained about 4.1% on average. This shows that Next PLC is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another stock in the Retail-Wholesale sector, Signet (SIG - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 6.8%.

In Signet's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 0.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Next PLC belongs to the Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry, a group that includes 45 individual stocks and currently sits at #154 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 8.7% so far this year, meaning that NXGPY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Signet falls under the Retail - Jewelry industry. Currently, this industry has 6 stocks and is ranked #37. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -2.8%.

Investors with an interest in Retail-Wholesale stocks should continue to track Next PLC and Signet. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.


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