Are Conglomerates Stocks Lagging Hitachi (HTHIY) This Year?

The Conglomerates group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Hitachi Ltd. (HTHIY) 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 Conglomerates sector should help us answer this question.Hitachi Ltd. is one of 15 companies in the Conglomerates group. The Conglomerates group currently sits at #2 within 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 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. Hitachi Ltd. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HTHIY's full-year earnings has moved 1.2% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.Based on the latest available data, HTHIY has gained about 8.2% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Conglomerates group have gained about 5.9% on average. This means that Hitachi Ltd. is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.Another stock in the Conglomerates sector, Swire Pacific (SWRAY), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 9.7%.For Swire Pacific, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 4.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Looking more specifically, Hitachi Ltd. belongs to the Diversified Operations industry, which includes 15 individual stocks and currently sits at #81 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 5.9% so far this year, so HTHIY is performing better in this area. Swire Pacific is also part of the same industry.Hitachi Ltd. and Swire Pacific could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Conglomerates stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockThis under-the-radar company specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. And it's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $971 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>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 Hitachi Ltd. (HTHIY): Free Stock Analysis Report Swire Pacific Ltd. (SWRAY): 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