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Are Basic Materials Stocks Lagging PPG Industries (PPG) This Year?

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The Basic Materials group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. PPG Industries (PPG - 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 Basic Materials peers, we might be able to answer that question.

PPG Industries is one of 239 individual stocks in the Basic Materials sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #16 in the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. PPG Industries is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PPG's full-year earnings has moved 3.6% higher within the past quarter. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Our latest available data shows that PPG has returned about 9.8% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Basic Materials sector has returned an average of 2.7% on a year-to-date basis. This means that PPG Industries is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Basic Materials sector, Suzano S.A. Sponsored ADR (SUZ - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 9.2%.

Over the past three months, Suzano S.A. Sponsored ADR's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 43.7%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, PPG Industries belongs to the Chemical - Specialty industry, a group that includes 34 individual companies and currently sits at #201 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 7.1% this year, meaning that PPG is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Suzano S.A. Sponsored ADR, however, belongs to the Paper and Related Products industry. Currently, this 12-stock industry is ranked #231. The industry has moved +0.2% so far this year.

Going forward, investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should continue to pay close attention to PPG Industries and Suzano S.A. Sponsored ADR as they could maintain their solid performance.


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