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Are Business Services Stocks Lagging GEN DIGITAL INC (GEN) This Year?

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Investors interested in Business Services stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Gen Digital (GEN - 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 Business Services sector should help us answer this question.

Gen Digital is a member of our Business Services group, which includes 244 different companies and currently sits at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

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. Gen Digital is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for GEN's full-year earnings has moved 1.7% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the latest available data, GEN has gained about 3.7% so far this year. At the same time, Business Services stocks have lost an average of 10.2%. This means that Gen Digital is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Another Business Services stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Crane NXT (CXT - Free Report) . The stock has returned 27.9% year-to-date.

In Crane NXT's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Gen Digital is a member of the Technology Services industry, which includes 123 individual companies and currently sits at #99 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 21.5% so far this year, so GEN is performing better in this area. Crane NXT is also part of the same industry.

Gen Digital and Crane NXT could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Business Services stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.

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