Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Dole (DOLE) This Year?

Group 1 - Dole (DOLE) has shown strong year-to-date performance, returning approximately 36.2%, significantly outperforming the average gain of 9.4% in the Consumer Staples sector [4] - Dole is currently ranked 1 (Strong Buy) in the Zacks Rank system, indicating a positive earnings outlook with a 5.3% increase in the consensus estimate for full-year earnings over the past 90 days [3] - The Agriculture - Operations industry, to which Dole belongs, has seen an average loss of 8.5% this year, highlighting Dole's superior performance within its industry [5] Group 2 - Lifeway Foods (LWAY) is another strong performer in the Consumer Staples sector, with a year-to-date return of 66.4% and a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [4][5] - The consensus EPS estimate for Lifeway Foods has increased by 23.8% over the past three months, reflecting positive analyst sentiment [5] - The Food - Dairy Products industry, which includes Lifeway Foods, has experienced a decline of 2% year-to-date, contrasting with Dole's performance [6]