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Is CF Industries (CF) Outperforming Other Basic Materials Stocks 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. CF Industries (CF - 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.

CF Industries is a member of the Basic Materials sector. This group includes 248 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #14. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.

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. CF Industries is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CF's full-year earnings has moved 36.8% higher within the past quarter. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

According to our latest data, CF has moved about 54.4% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Basic Materials companies have returned an average of 18%. This shows that CF Industries is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Carpenter Technology (CRS - Free Report) is another Basic Materials stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 37%.

Over the past three months, Carpenter Technology's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 2.3%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, CF Industries belongs to the Fertilizers industry, which includes 6 individual stocks and currently sits at #43 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 20.5% this year, meaning that CF is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Carpenter Technology falls under the Steel - Speciality industry. Currently, this industry has 6 stocks and is ranked #96. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +30.5%.

Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track CF Industries and Carpenter Technology. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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