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Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Ambev (ABEV) This Year?

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Investors interested in Consumer Staples stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Ambev (ABEV - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? 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.

Ambev is a member of the Consumer Staples sector. This group includes 187 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #15. 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 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. Ambev is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ABEV's full-year earnings has moved 1.6% higher within the past quarter. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Based on the most recent data, ABEV has returned 29.2% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Consumer Staples group have gained about 6.6% on average. As we can see, Ambev is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Another stock in the Consumer Staples sector, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 43.4%.

Over the past three months, Archer Daniels Midland's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 15.6%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Ambev belongs to the Beverages - Alcohol industry, a group that includes 17 individual stocks and currently sits at #171 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 13.5% so far this year, so ABEV is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Archer Daniels Midland falls under the Agriculture - Operations industry. Currently, this industry has 11 stocks and is ranked #210. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -30.8%.

Investors with an interest in Consumer Staples stocks should continue to track Ambev and Archer Daniels Midland. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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