Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Has Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) Outpaced Other Industrial Products Stocks This Year?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Packaging Corp. (PKG - 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 Industrial Products peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Packaging Corp. is one of 188 individual stocks in the Industrial Products sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #10 in the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. Packaging Corp. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for PKG's full-year earnings has moved 1% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, PKG has returned 21.5% so far this year. At the same time, Industrial Products stocks have gained an average of 9%. As we can see, Packaging Corp. is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

One other Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Park-Ohio (PKOH - Free Report) . The stock is up 124.1% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Park-Ohio's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 4.4%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Packaging Corp. belongs to the Containers - Paper and Packaging industry, a group that includes 10 individual stocks and currently sits at #193 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 7.3% this year, meaning that PKG is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Park-Ohio falls under the Metal Products - Fasteners industry. Currently, this industry has 1 stocks and is ranked #1. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +124.1%.

Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on Packaging Corp. and Park-Ohio as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

Published in