The Consumer Discretionary group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Howden Joinery (HWDJY) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Consumer Discretionary peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Howden Joinery is a member of our Consumer Discretionary group, which includes 286 different companies and currently sits at #16 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. Howden Joinery is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HWDJY's full-year earnings has moved 0.8% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Our latest available data shows that HWDJY has returned about 7.3% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Consumer Discretionary sector has returned an average of -3.1% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Howden Joinery is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Imax (IMAX) is another Consumer Discretionary stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 12.3%.

For Imax, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 15.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Howden Joinery belongs to the Household Appliances industry, a group that includes 3 individual companies and currently sits at #8 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 10.8% this year, meaning that HWDJY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Imax belongs to the Film and Television Production and Distribution industry. This 7-stock industry is currently ranked #33. The industry has moved -0.1% year to date.

Investors with an interest in Consumer Discretionary stocks should continue to track Howden Joinery and Imax. 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



Howden Joinery (HWDJY):Free Stock Analysis Report

IMAX Corporation (IMAX):Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research