The Construction group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR (HCMLY) 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? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Construction sector should help us answer this question.

Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR is a member of our Construction group, which includes 90 different companies and currently sits at #9 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 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. Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HCMLY's full-year earnings has moved 6.3% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

According to our latest data, HCMLY has moved about 10.2% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, stocks in the Construction group have lost about 15.9% on average. This shows that Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another stock in the Construction sector, Persimmon Plc (PSMMY), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 6.2%.

For Persimmon Plc, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 2.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR belongs to the Building Products - Miscellaneous industry, a group that includes 30 individual companies and currently sits at #156 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 18.2% this year, meaning that HCMLY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Persimmon Plc, however, belongs to the Building Products - Home Builders industry. Currently, this 16-stock industry is ranked #189. The industry has moved -19.1% so far this year.

Investors interested in the Construction sector may want to keep a close eye on Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR and Persimmon Plc as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

Story Continues

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

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