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Is UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Outperforming Other Medical Stocks This Year?

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For those looking to find strong Medical stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. UnitedHealth Group (UNH - 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 Medical sector should help us answer this question.

UnitedHealth Group is a member of the Medical sector. This group includes 901 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #2. 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. UNH is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for UNH's full-year earnings has moved 0.17% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, UNH has gained about 3.23% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Medical sector has returned an average of 2.60% on a year-to-date basis. This means that UnitedHealth Group is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Looking more specifically, UNH belongs to the Medical - HMOs industry, a group that includes 10 individual stocks and currently sits at #21 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 2.42% so far this year, meaning that UNH is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Going forward, investors interested in Medical stocks should continue to pay close attention to UNH as it looks to continue its solid performance.


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