In This Article:
For those looking to find strong Consumer Staples stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has US Foods (USFD) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Consumer Staples sector should help us answer this question.
US Foods is one of 181 individual stocks in the Consumer Staples sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #14 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. US Foods is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for USFD's full-year earnings has moved 3.3% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Our latest available data shows that USFD has returned about 1.1% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Consumer Staples companies have returned an average of -2.6%. This shows that US Foods is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Another Consumer Staples stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Zevia (ZVIA). The stock has returned 1.2% year-to-date.
For Zevia, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 21.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Looking more specifically, US Foods belongs to the Food - Miscellaneous industry, which includes 43 individual stocks and currently sits at #207 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 9.1% so far this year, meaning that USFD is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
In contrast, Zevia falls under the Beverages - Soft drinks industry. Currently, this industry has 17 stocks and is ranked #79. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -6%.
Investors with an interest in Consumer Staples stocks should continue to track US Foods and Zevia. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report