Investors interested in Medical stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) 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? One simple way to answer this question is to take a look at the year-to-date performance of GILD and the rest of the Medical group's stocks.
Gilead Sciences is one of 843 companies in the Medical group. The Medical group currently sits at #4 within 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. GILD is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for GILD's full-year earnings has moved 5.91% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Based on the most recent data, GILD has returned 7.24% so far this year. In comparison, Medical companies have returned an average of 7.08%. This means that Gilead Sciences is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
Looking more specifically, GILD belongs to the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, which includes 351 individual stocks and currently sits at #67 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 4.30% so far this year, so GILD is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.
GILD will likely be looking to continue its solid performance, so investors interested in Medical stocks should continue to pay close attention to the company.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD): Free Stock Analysis Report
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