Is IDEX (IEX) Stock Outpacing Its Industrial Products Peers This Year?

For those looking to find strong Industrial Products stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Idex (IEX) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Industrial Products sector should help us answer this question.

Idex is a member of our Industrial Products group, which includes 186 different companies and currently sits at #8 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 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. Idex is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for IEX's full-year earnings has moved 3.9% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the most recent data, IEX has returned 24.5% so far this year. In comparison, Industrial Products companies have returned an average of 12.8%. This shows that Idex is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Murata Manufacturing Inc. (MRAAY) is another Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 131.9%.

In Murata Manufacturing Inc.'s case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 35.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Idex belongs to the Manufacturing - General Industrial industry, which includes 41 individual stocks and currently sits at #65 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 0.7% this year, meaning that IEX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Murata Manufacturing Inc. falls under the Manufacturing - Electronics industry. Currently, this industry has 14 stocks and is ranked #93. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +20.6%.

Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on Idex and Murata Manufacturing Inc. as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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IDEX Corporation (IEX): Free Stock Analysis Report

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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