Is Air Products and Chemicals (APD) Outperforming Other Basic Materials Stocks This Year?

For those looking to find strong Basic Materials stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Air Products and Chemicals (APD) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Basic Materials peers, we might be able to answer that question.Air Products and Chemicals is a member of the Basic Materials sector. This group includes 254 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #4. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. Air Products and Chemicals is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for APD's full-year earnings has moved 0.5% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Based on the latest available data, APD has gained about 14.8% so far this year. At the same time, Basic Materials stocks have gained an average of 13.2%. This means that Air Products and Chemicals is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.Hochschild Mining PLC (HCHDF) is another Basic Materials stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 20%.For Hochschild Mining PLC, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 41.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Breaking things down more, Air Products and Chemicals is a member of the Chemical - Diversified industry, which includes 29 individual companies and currently sits at #210 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 18.2% this year, meaning that APD is slightly underperforming its industry in terms of year-to-date returns. On the other hand, Hochschild Mining PLC belongs to the Mining - Silver industry. This 9-stock industry is currently ranked #4. The industry has moved +10.6% year to date.Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track Air Products and Chemicals and Hochschild Mining PLC. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the coming year. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +112%, +171%, +209% and +232%.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>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 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD): Free Stock Analysis Report Hochschild Mining PLC (HCHDF): 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