The Medical group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Aveanna Healthcare (AVAH) 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? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Aveanna Healthcare is a member of the Medical sector. This group includes 1000 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #5. 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 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. Aveanna Healthcare is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVAH's full-year earnings has moved 1600% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the latest available data, AVAH has gained about 31.3% so far this year. At the same time, Medical stocks have lost an average of 7.2%. This means that Aveanna Healthcare is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Medical sector, HCA Healthcare (HCA), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 28.4%.

For HCA Healthcare, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 1.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Aveanna Healthcare belongs to the Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, a group that includes 17 individual companies and currently sits at #62 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 5.8% so far this year, so AVAH is performing better in this area.

In contrast, HCA Healthcare falls under the Medical - Hospital industry. Currently, this industry has 5 stocks and is ranked #53. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +21.8%.

Investors with an interest in Medical stocks should continue to track Aveanna Healthcare and HCA Healthcare. 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

Story Continues

Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AVAH):Free Stock Analysis Report

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA):Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

View Comments