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Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Compania Cervecerias Unidas (CCU) This Year?

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For those looking to find strong Consumer Staples stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Cervecerias Unidas (CCU - 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 Consumer Staples sector should help us answer this question.

Cervecerias Unidas is one of 194 companies in the Consumer Staples group. The Consumer Staples group currently sits at #5 within the Zacks Sector Rank. 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 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. Cervecerias Unidas is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for CCU's full-year earnings has moved 9.1% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the latest available data, CCU has gained about 21% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Consumer Staples sector has returned an average of 0.8% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, Cervecerias Unidas is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Another Consumer Staples stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Ahold NV (ADRNY - Free Report) . The stock has returned 12.6% year-to-date.

In Ahold NV's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 3.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Cervecerias Unidas belongs to the Beverages - Alcohol industry, which includes 19 individual stocks and currently sits at #69 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 2.7% this year, meaning that CCU is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Ahold NV, however, belongs to the Consumer Products - Staples industry. Currently, this 29-stock industry is ranked #195. The industry has moved -3.5% so far this year.

Investors with an interest in Consumer Staples stocks should continue to track Cervecerias Unidas and Ahold NV. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.


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Compania Cervecerias Unidas, S.A. (CCU) - free report >>

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