Has Unifirst (UNF) Outpaced Other Industrial Products Stocks This Year?

Investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has UniFirst (UNF) 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 Industrial Products sector should help us answer this question.UniFirst is one of 192 individual stocks in the Industrial Products sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #10 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 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. UniFirst is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UNF's full-year earnings has moved 4.1% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.Based on the latest available data, UNF has gained about 1.1% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Industrial Products group have lost about 13.5% on average. This means that UniFirst is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.Another stock in the Industrial Products sector, Wartsila (WRTBY), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 9%.For Wartsila, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 11.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Breaking things down more, UniFirst is a member of the Uniform and Related industry, which includes 2 individual companies and currently sits at #11 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 17.7% so far this year, so UNF is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.Wartsila, however, belongs to the Manufacturing - Electronics industry. Currently, this 17-stock industry is ranked #83. The industry has moved -20.3% so far this year.Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on UniFirst and Wartsila 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 Unifirst Corporation (UNF): Free Stock Analysis Report Wartsila (WRTBY): 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