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Is Acme United (ACU) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Discretionary Peers This Year?

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Investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Acme United Corporation. (ACU - 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 Discretionary peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Acme United Corporation. is one of 246 individual stocks in the Consumer Discretionary sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #3 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.

The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. Acme United Corporation. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ACU's full-year earnings has moved 16.1% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the latest available data, ACU has gained about 14.2% so far this year. In comparison, Consumer Discretionary companies have returned an average of -2.6%. This means that Acme United Corporation. is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

ASICS Corporation Unsponsored ADR (ASCCY - Free Report) is another Consumer Discretionary stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 22.6%.

Over the past three months, ASICS Corporation Unsponsored ADR's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 8.7%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

To break things down more, Acme United Corporation. belongs to the Consumer Products - Discretionary industry, a group that includes 25 individual companies and currently sits at #94 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 6.4% so far this year, meaning that ACU is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, ASICS Corporation Unsponsored ADR belongs to the Leisure and Recreation Products industry. This 21-stock industry is currently ranked #40. The industry has moved +3.6% year to date.

Acme United Corporation. and ASICS Corporation Unsponsored ADR could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.

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