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Is AutoNation (AN) Outperforming Other Retail-Wholesale Stocks 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. AutoNation (AN - 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.

AutoNation is a member of the Retail-Wholesale sector. This group includes 220 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #9. 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. AutoNation is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AN's full-year earnings has moved 8.1% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Based on the latest available data, AN has gained about 27.7% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Retail-Wholesale group have gained about 6.6% on average. This means that AutoNation is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Fastenal (FAST - Free Report) is another Retail-Wholesale stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 15.3%.

Over the past three months, Fastenal's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 2.2%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, AutoNation belongs to the Automotive - Retail and Whole Sales industry, which includes 9 individual stocks and currently sits at #177 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 14.4% this year, meaning that AN is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Fastenal falls under the Building Products - Retail industry. Currently, this industry has 8 stocks and is ranked #41. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +1%.

Investors interested in the Retail-Wholesale sector may want to keep a close eye on AutoNation and Fastenal as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


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