Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Imperial Tobacco Group (IMBBY) This Year?

Investors interested in Consumer Staples stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (IMBBY) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Consumer Staples peers, we might be able to answer that question.Imperial Tobacco Group PLC is a member of the Consumer Staples sector. This group includes 178 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #16. 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 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. Imperial Tobacco Group PLC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IMBBY's full-year earnings has moved 0.3% higher within the past quarter. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Our latest available data shows that IMBBY has returned about 32.5% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Consumer Staples sector has returned an average of 0.7% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Imperial Tobacco Group PLC is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.Another Consumer Staples stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is L'Oreal SA (LRLCY). The stock has returned 21.6% year-to-date.Over the past three months, L'Oreal SA's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 2.1%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Looking more specifically, Imperial Tobacco Group PLC belongs to the Tobacco industry, a group that includes 7 individual stocks and currently sits at #165 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 36.7% so far this year, so IMBBY is slightly underperforming its industry this group in terms of year-to-date returns. L'Oreal SA, however, belongs to the Consumer Products - Staples industry. Currently, this 36-stock industry is ranked #166. The industry has moved -8.4% so far this year.Going forward, investors interested in Consumer Staples stocks should continue to pay close attention to Imperial Tobacco Group PLC and L'Oreal SA as they could maintain 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 +23.5% 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 Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (IMBBY): Free Stock Analysis Report L'Oreal SA (LRLCY): 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