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Has A. O. Smith (AOS) Outpaced 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. Is A.O. Smith (AOS - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

A.O. Smith is a member of our Industrial Products group, which includes 217 different companies and currently sits at #2 in 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 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. A.O. Smith is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AOS' full-year earnings has moved 3.9% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Our latest available data shows that AOS has returned about 20.6% since the start of the calendar year. At the same time, Industrial Products stocks have gained an average of 6.7%. This shows that A.O. Smith is outperforming its peers so far this year.

One other Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Belden (BDC - Free Report) . The stock is up 31.4% year-to-date.

For Belden, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, A.O. Smith is a member of the Manufacturing - Electronics industry, which includes 17 individual companies and currently sits at #20 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 9.4% so far this year, meaning that AOS is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Belden, however, belongs to the Wire and Cable Products industry. Currently, this 3-stock industry is ranked #6. The industry has moved +21.3% so far this year.

Investors with an interest in Industrial Products stocks should continue to track A.O. Smith and Belden. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.


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