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Is Argan (AGX) Stock Outpacing Its Construction Peers This Year?

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Investors interested in Construction stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Argan (AGX - 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? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Construction sector should help us answer this question.

Argan is a member of the Construction sector. This group includes 88 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #16. 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. Argan is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AGX's full-year earnings has moved 23.7% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Our latest available data shows that AGX has returned about 95.9% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Construction companies have returned an average of 13.2%. This means that Argan is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

One other Construction stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Masco (MAS - Free Report) . The stock is up 14% year-to-date.

For Masco, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 1.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Argan belongs to the Building Products - Miscellaneous industry, a group that includes 33 individual companies and currently sits at #182 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 0.7% so far this year, meaning that AGX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. Masco is also part of the same industry.

Investors interested in the Construction sector may want to keep a close eye on Argan and Masco as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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