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Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Clorox (CLX) 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. Clorox (CLX - 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 Consumer Staples peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Clorox is a member of the Consumer Staples sector. This group includes 193 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #13. 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 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. Clorox is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CLX's full-year earnings has moved 24.8% higher within the past quarter. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

According to our latest data, CLX has moved about 8.3% on a year-to-date basis. At the same time, Consumer Staples stocks have gained an average of 1%. This shows that Clorox is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another Consumer Staples stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Mondelez (MDLZ - Free Report) . The stock has returned 4% year-to-date.

For Mondelez, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 1.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Clorox belongs to the Soap and Cleaning Materials industry, a group that includes 7 individual stocks and currently sits at #172 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 6.7% this year, meaning that CLX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Mondelez, however, belongs to the Food - Miscellaneous industry. Currently, this 45-stock industry is ranked #152. The industry has moved +2.1% so far this year.

Going forward, investors interested in Consumer Staples stocks should continue to pay close attention to Clorox and Mondelez as they could maintain their solid performance.


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