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Are Construction Stocks Lagging James Hardie Industries (JHX) This Year?

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Investors interested in Construction stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. James Hardie (JHX - 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? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Construction peers, we might be able to answer that question.

James Hardie is one of 99 individual stocks in the Construction sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #1 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 is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. James Hardie is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for JHX's full-year earnings has moved 18.9% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

According to our latest data, JHX has moved about 69.2% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Construction companies have returned an average of 34.2%. This shows that James Hardie is outperforming its peers so far this year.

One other Construction stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is KB Home (KBH - Free Report) . The stock is up 67.4% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, KB Home's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 19.4%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, James Hardie belongs to the Building Products - Miscellaneous industry, a group that includes 27 individual stocks and currently sits at #13 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 37.4% so far this year, meaning that JHX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, KB Home belongs to the Building Products - Home Builders industry. This 19-stock industry is currently ranked #5. The industry has moved +50.2% year to date.

Investors with an interest in Construction stocks should continue to track James Hardie and KB Home. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.


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