Are Construction Stocks Lagging Babcock International Group (BCKIY) This Year?

The Construction group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Babcock International Group PLC (BCKIY) 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 Construction peers, we might be able to answer that question.Babcock International Group PLC is one of 90 individual stocks in the Construction sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #14 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 successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Babcock International Group PLC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BCKIY's full-year earnings has moved 3.6% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Based on the most recent data, BCKIY has returned 65.9% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Construction sector has returned an average of -12.5% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, Babcock International Group PLC is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.Another stock in the Construction sector, M-tron Industries, Inc. (MPTI), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 4.4%.For M-tron Industries, Inc. the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 13.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).To break things down more, Babcock International Group PLC belongs to the Engineering - R and D Services industry, a group that includes 17 individual companies and currently sits at #35 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 17.6% so far this year, so BCKIY is performing better in this area. M-tron Industries, Inc. is also part of the same industry.Investors interested in the Construction sector may want to keep a close eye on Babcock International Group PLC and M-tron Industries, Inc. as they attempt to continue their solid performance.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>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 Babcock International Group PLC (BCKIY): Free Stock Analysis Report M-tron Industries, Inc. (MPTI): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks