Are Basic Materials Stocks Lagging Balchem (BCPC) This Year?

For those looking to find strong Basic Materials stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Blachem (BCPC) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.Blachem is one of 234 individual stocks in the Basic Materials sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #14 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. Blachem is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BCPC's full-year earnings has moved 1.3% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.According to our latest data, BCPC has moved about 12% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, stocks in the Basic Materials group have lost about 11.2% on average. This means that Blachem is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.Fresnillo PLC (FNLPF) is another Basic Materials stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 6.1%.The consensus estimate for Fresnillo PLC's current year EPS has increased 7.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).To break things down more, Blachem belongs to the Chemical - Specialty industry, a group that includes 33 individual companies and currently sits at #181 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 20.4% this year, meaning that BCPC is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.In contrast, Fresnillo PLC falls under the Mining - Silver industry. Currently, this industry has 9 stocks and is ranked #22. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +18.4%.Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track Blachem and Fresnillo PLC. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2025Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2025?History suggests their performance could be sensational.From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2024, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,112.6%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +475.6%. Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2025. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 2.Be First to New Top 10 Stocks >>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 Balchem Corporation (BCPC): Free Stock Analysis Report Fresnillo PLC (FNLPF): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks